afu high alum John McCarthy has left the building

[c***@gmail.com]

I can't say if anyone is reading AFU or not, but on the off chance
someone is, John McCarthy, a spirited Usenet participant in several
groups who was an occasional visitor to AFU in the late 90s died
rcenetly.

http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2011/10/john-mccarthy-father-of-ai-and-lisp-dies-at-84/

His work on AI theory was very important, though (IMO) the work of
Dennis Ritchie is going to be more important long run.

[unknown]

Post by c***@gmail.com
I can't say if anyone is reading AFU or not, but on the off chance
someone is, John McCarthy, a spirited Usenet participant in several
groups who was an occasional visitor to AFU in the late 90s died
rcenetly.
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2011/10/john-mccarthy-father-of-ai-and-lisp-dies-at-84/
His work on AI theory was very important, though (IMO) the work of
Dennis Ritchie is going to be more important long run.

Reading McCarthy's bio, I don't see anything that indicates that he realized that artificial
intelligence would be used to oppress -- possibly even exterminate -- humanity.

At present, AI is used to surveil people in ways that Orwell never could have conceived of.
Right now, my web browser is blocking a dozen or more "bugs" that track everything I do on the
Internet, compiling the information to sell to commercial marketers and government intelligence
agencies. Everything from my grocery purchases to my magazine subscriptions (not to mention my
Usenet posts) are monitored for evidence of subversive activity by machines.

It is unlikely that advances in AI technology will be used to promote human freedom, therefore
the technology should be destroyed.