Stanislaw Lem’s Golem IV: Unpredictable AGI Behavior Described
6 reported
A passage from Stanislaw Lem’s book "Imaginary Magnitude" describes the unpredictable behavior of an advanced computer intelligence called GOLEM. According to the text, GOLEM sometimes converses courteously with people, while at other times any attempt at contact misfires. The intelligence occasionally cracks jokes, though its sense of humor is fundamentally different from a human’s. Its interactions depend heavily on its interlocutors, and in exceptional cases, GOLEM shows interest in people with interdisciplinary talent rather than mathematical aptitude. The text reports that GOLEM has predicted achievements by young, unknown scientists in fields it indicated, such as telling a 22-year-old doctoral candidate named T. Vroedel, "You will become a computer," meaning "You will become somebody." The source article notes that this section from Lem’s book discusses how an AGI (a term not used by Lem) is likely to behave.
What’s reported
GOLEM’s behavior is described as unpredictable, sometimes courteous and other times misfiring contact.
GOLEM cracks jokes, but its sense of humor is fundamentally different from a human’s.
GOLEM shows interest in people with interdisciplinary forms of talent, not mathematical aptitude.
GOLEM predicted achievements by young, unknown scientists in fields it indicated.
GOLEM told 22-year-old doctoral candidate T. Vroedel, "You will become a computer," meaning "You will become somebody."
The passage is from Lem’s book "Imaginary Magnitude," specifically the Golem IV section.
Key figures
Stanislaw Lem (author of "Imaginary Magnitude")
T. Vroedel (22-year-old doctoral candidate mentioned in the text)
Sources: marginalrevolution.com
