Despite his concerns about Artificial Intelligence, Dr. Eric Horvitz (Head of Microsoft Research) says he is hopeful that artificial intelligence research will benefit humans, and perhaps even compensate for human failings.

As an example, he demonstrated a voice-based system that he designed to ask patients about their symptoms and to respond with empathy. When a mother said her child was having diarrhea, the face on the screen said, “Oh no, sorry to hear that.”

A physician told him afterward that it was wonderful that the system responded to human emotion. “That’s a great idea,” Dr. Horvitz said he was told. “I have no time for that.”

Source: NYT
Read full article by John Markoff (first published in 2009)
Scientists Worry Machines May Outsmart Man