From: man@acm.org   
      
   One of the function of artificial intelligence   
   research is to generate understanding and   
   knowledge that can be used to create tools   
   for the human congnitive activities, similar   
   to how cars save us from walking to work.   
      
   Here's an interesting retrospective review   
   of a psychological barrier that we might have   
   against using cognitive tools: While books   
   and writing is a major part of the knowledge   
   culture, they were frowned upon by some   
   as tools that will cause degradation   
   of the human memory and imprompt cognitive   
   abilities.   
      
   The AI naysayer of today may very well   
   (I'm not commenting on the relationship   
   between us and gorillas) be a gorilla   
   saying to another "Hey, you can't use   
   that twig to get the termits out of the   
   tree! We should use our fingers, and   
   those termits deep down in the wood   
   are never meant to be our food."   
      
   A day will come when those   
   of us who are AI-phobic/AI-unaware   
   will just have to do the physical   
   equivalent of walking to work everyday,   
   while other will use AI-based cognitive   
   tools for higher productivity and   
   efficiency.   
      
   Anyway, it is not THAT bad to be   
   behind the technology curve; many   
   American Amish lead happy lives.   
      
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