I think the push for AI is driven by a) commerce and b) inter-nation competition. At root there's a bunch of people curious to see if they can replicate the human ability to learn, to create and invent. This has been seized upon as a way to make money or pit ones country against others.

To me, AI isn't just a set of computer programs that by definition have to be comprehensive and conclusive, it's about machines that can learn for themselves from scratch or at least be taught.

It came as no surprise that some of the "background music" for TV dramas i.e. sound organisation (because I'd be hesitant to call most of it music) is produced by machines that appear to be AI but aren't because clever though the programs are, they don't of themselves learn. They just analyse what is and produce.

The Alpha-Go project is the most telling AI effort I've encountered. A machine that learned this most difficult game from scratch and became world champion. Chess is nothing by comparison.

The push, however, is to get people reliant on technology and software so once trapped, the 'victim' is their cash cow. It's become a vital part of the economy. Look at the sad dependence on social media. You get it free thanks to advertising revenue and for that to work the advertisers must be making something out of it. Who would believe an advert - a firm coming on blowing its own trumpet about its products and tinkering with your mind to convince you they're vital for your living?! Nobody is as gullible as that, surely? Nope, I'm wrong!

The moment I see "smart" prefixing any gadgetry, I balk. I don't want a smart-phone or smart-TV or smart light switch - or a gadget whose name can't be mentioned responding to voice commands (unless it can do the ironing LOL) so it can collect data on what you're doing and embed its producers even more into your life. They pretend to take over my function as a human and are rarely smart, merely try to push me in a particular direction.

AI is there and as computer power increases, so will its dominance over people's lives. Governments will see to that. I don't think it has to do with spirituality but as long as humans exist (in spite of their attempts at self-destruction) that spark of the soul, the inspirations, the inventiveness, will never be taken over. The Umbrella Corporation can't win except by commercial and political force.
Consciousness? Can these machines dream?
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