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␈↓ ↓H␈↓␈↓βS␈↓∧ Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Stanford, California 94305

␈↓ ↓H␈↓∧Telephone 415 497-4430␈↓ 	↑February 27, 1978 




␈↓ ↓H␈↓Mr. Richard J. Lutz
␈↓ ↓H␈↓H.R. Box 226
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Main Capitol
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

␈↓ ↓H␈↓Dear Mr. Lutz:

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        Thank␈α∞you␈α∂for␈α∞your␈α∂letter␈α∞of␈α∂February␈α∞24.␈α∂ I␈α∞will␈α∂be␈α∞glad␈α∂to␈α∞discuss␈α∂with␈α∞you␈α∂the␈α∞issues
␈↓ ↓H␈↓raised in your paper.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        In␈αthink␈αthat␈αhumans␈αcan␈αeventually␈αunderstand␈αintelligence␈αwell␈αenough␈αto␈αmake␈α
computer
␈↓ ↓H␈↓programs␈α
smarter␈α
than␈α
humans.␈α
 However,␈α
this␈α
requires␈α
a␈α
conceptual␈α
advance␈α
and␈α
not␈α
merely␈αa
␈↓ ↓H␈↓development␈α∩program␈α∩(however␈α∩well-funded),␈α∩and␈α∩therefore␈α∩how␈α∩long␈α∩it␈α∩will␈α∩take␈α∪cannot␈α∩be
␈↓ ↓H␈↓predicted␈α⊃now.␈α⊃ It␈α⊂is␈α⊃also␈α⊃di≠cult␈α⊂to␈α⊃see␈α⊃what␈α⊂is␈α⊃the␈α⊃best␈α⊂way␈α⊃to␈α⊃use␈α⊂this␈α⊃intelligence,␈α⊃but␈α⊂it
␈↓ ↓H␈↓obviously␈α∞shouldn't␈α∞be␈α∞used␈α
to␈α∞realize␈α∞the␈α∞fables␈α
of␈α∞wishing␈α∞caps␈α∞wherein␈α
a␈α∞wish␈α∞is␈α∞carried␈α
out
␈↓ ↓H␈↓literally␈α-␈αand␈αin␈αthe␈αfables␈αwith␈αinvariably␈αharmful␈αconsequences.␈α Whatever␈αarti≡cial␈α
intelligence
␈↓ ↓H␈↓we␈αcan␈αachieve␈αshould␈αbe␈αused␈αto␈αshow␈αus␈αas␈αclearly␈αas␈αpossible␈αthe␈αconsequences␈αof␈αthe␈αalternate
␈↓ ↓H␈↓policies we are considering.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        I␈αam␈αfamiliar␈α
with␈αthe␈αmetaphor␈α
of␈αintelligence␈αas␈αa␈α
disease,␈αand␈αI␈α
am␈αafraid␈αI␈α
regard␈αthe
␈↓ ↓H␈↓metaphor␈α∂as␈α∂a␈α∞symptom␈α∂of␈α∂an␈α∞ideological␈α∂disease␈α∂-␈α∂which␈α∞I␈α∂hope␈α∂is␈α∞curable␈α∂in␈α∂your␈α∂case.␈α∞ My
␈↓ ↓H␈↓prescription,␈α∩for␈α∪what␈α∩it's␈α∪worth,␈α∩is␈α∩to␈α∪include␈α∩in␈α∪your␈α∩program␈α∩a␈α∪study␈α∩of␈α∪past␈α∩ideological
␈↓ ↓H␈↓movements␈α⊂and␈α⊂cults,␈α⊂especially␈α∂those␈α⊂based␈α⊂on␈α⊂predictions␈α∂of␈α⊂doom.␈α⊂ More␈α⊂concretely,␈α⊂I␈α∂don't
␈↓ ↓H␈↓agree␈α
with␈α
your␈α
evaluation␈α
of␈α
the␈α
automobile,␈α∞etc.␈α
 and␈α
with␈α
the␈α
low␈α
value␈α
your␈α
paper␈α∞seems␈α
to
␈↓ ↓H␈↓put on the individual pursuit of individual goals.

␈↓ ↓H␈↓        I look forward to discussing these issues if you come to Stanford.


␈↓ ↓H␈↓Sincerely,



␈↓ ↓H␈↓John McCarthy
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Director
␈↓ ↓H␈↓Professor of Computer Science