Rhetoric

Making an Argument

• Worst:

“Robots will never be conscious, intelligent beings.”

Making an Argument

• Equally bad:

“I don’t think that robots will ever be conscious, intelligent beings.”

Making an Argument

• Not actually much better:

“Robots will never be conscious, intelligent beings because they aren’t like us.”

Making an Argument

• Only a very tiny bit better:

“Robots will never be conscious, intelligent beings because they are purely digital while the neurons in our brains are also influenced by hormones and other chemicals in their environment.”

Making an Argument

• Only better for particular audiences:

“Robots will never be conscious, intelligent beings because <Oracle I believe in> says that people are special.”

Making an Argument

• Not much better:

“Robots will never be conscious, intelligent beings because they only do what they’re programmed to do.”

Making an Argument

• Slightly better:

“Robots will never be conscious, intelligent beings because they don’t perceive and act in the world.”

Making an Argument• Much better:

“Conscious, intelligent behavior appears to require the ability to do all of the following things:

• Balance conflicting goals.

• Perceive and interact with the world.

• Learn from experience.

• Apply a massive amount of knowledge to solve problems in real time.

So it is unlikely that robots will be able to act like conscious, intelligent beings until they too can do these things.”

Overstatements

• Every time a robot is invented, everyone becomes extremely interested and curious.

Overstatements

• Technology continues to be an overwhelming presence in today’s world with Americans’ daily use of the internet and the personal computer.

Paper and Paragraph Structure

Sentences

Written and Spoken Language

• Talking came (way) first.

Written and Spoken Language

• Talking came (way) first.

• Writing captures speech for later. So read your paper out loud to yourself. If it sounds bad, it probably is bad.

Written and Spoken Language

• Talking came (way) first.

• Writing captures speech for later. So read your paper out loud to yourself. If it sounds bad, it probably is bad.

• But there are a few differences.

Clunky Sentence Structure

• As always, that which is unknown is the most frightening.

Clunky Sentence Structure

• The unique choice for a flute as an instrument was because …

Clunky Sentence Structure• Another important representative in the saga

over artificial intelligence in ancient mythology is Hephaestus.

Clunky Sentence Structure

• You must first take a closer look at each individual law separately and from numerous amount of angles. One particular angle that opens up a vast array of uncertainty is …

Clunky Sentence Structure

• Therefore intelligence comes with the capability of fairly accurately predicting the consequences of a given action whether desired or undesired.

Clunky Sentence Structure

• Even animals such as snakes will learn over time as to which animals are desirable to eat, and will be given no example from those of their same species to follow.

Clunky Sentence Structure

• For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Clunky Sentence Structure

Who Are the Characters?What Are They Doing?

Our lack of knowledge about the way in which computer processor speeds will increase precludes any careful prediction of the pace of robot development even in the face of increased funding and substantial additional research.

Who Are the Characters?What Are They Doing?

Our lack of knowledge about the way in which computer processor speeds will increase precludes any careful prediction of the pace of robot development even in the face of increased funding and substantial additional research.

Because we cannot predict how computer speeds will increase, we cannot make any careful predictions about how quickly we will be able to develop new robots. This is true even if we increase funding and research.

Who Are the Characters?What Are They Doing?

There is widespread worry about the possible effect that might occur if there is a significant increase in the power of available robots.

Who Are the Characters?What Are They Doing?

There is widespread worry about the possible effect that might occur if there is a significant increase in the power of available robots.

Many people worry about what might happen if robots become significantly more powerful.

Run On Sentences

• He invented a method of protecting buildings from fire, the printing press, a lens named after him, and the monochord for tuning musical instruments, suggested improvements in canal locks, made experiments in steam navigation, and contrived two calculating machines.

Vocabulary

• Man has always shown an unprecedented desire to advance our tools.

Vocabulary

• Our way of life, so heavily relied upon technology, portrays the stark contrast to the days of manual labor.

Vocabulary

• Using that definition one can acquire that a robot is made to simulate real behavior.

Vocabulary

• Using that definition one can acquire that a robot is made to simulate real behavior.

Vocabulary

• The rest of the brain comprises the basics of a complex living organism.

Vocabulary

• Deep Blue portrays not an actual machine that learns to play chess, but instead is another plain object which carries the capacity of programming.

Vocabulary

• … extremely unique …

Vocabulary

• ... desire to fulfill a sense of loneliness …

Mass vs Count Nouns

… a robot has a limited amount of choices.

Repeating Words

• He invented numerous inventions.

Subcategorization Rules

• ... the skill to play a musical instrument.

Subcategorization Rules

• … sensory predictions on what the door should be like

Subcategorization Rules

• Almost destroyed, it could do nothing to counteract against the onslaught.

Subcategorization Rules

• We create concepts to gain common sense on what will happen if …

Subcategorization Rules

• It may not be adequate as justification to certain ideas.

Reduced Relative Clauses

• This first situation presented brings up many …

Quantifiers and Negation

• Robots can only do what they’re programmed to do.

Quantifiers and Negation

• Robots can only do what they’re programmed to do.

The only thing a robot can do is what it is programmed to do.

Quantifiers and Negation

• Robots can only do what they’re programmed to do.

• Robots can only move along predetermined paths.

The only thing a robot can do is what it is programmed to do.

Quantifiers and Negation

• Robots can only do what they’re programmed to do.

• Robots can only move along predetermined paths.

The only thing a robot can do is what it is programmed to do.

The only thing a robot can do is move along a predetermined path.

Quantifiers and Negation

• Robots can only do what they’re programmed to do.

• Robots can only move along predetermined paths.

The only thing a robot can do is what it is programmed to do.

The only thing a robot can do is move along a predetermined path.

Does this sentence really say that a robot cannot also pick things up?

Dangling Modifiers

• Zuse realizes the technology will eventually become an artificial brain in 1938.

Dangling Modifiers

• One has to calculate the ball’s trajectory when it reaches the arm, involving a set of mathematical equations.

Dangling Modifiers

• The next two examples are creations of Jacques de Vaucanson, which took on unique features to fool humans.

Dangling Modifiers

• The second law will conflict when multiple orders are given to a robot by different people that are contrasting.

Dangling Modifiers

• The stereotype of the crazed, mad scientist secretly working in their laboratory on a creation that could be dangerous to all has also become a fixture of pop culture, which may have started with Frankenstein’s story.

And Another Problem With This One

• The stereotype of the crazed, mad scientist secretly working in their laboratory on a creation that could be dangerous to all has also become a fixture of pop culture, which may have started with Frankenstein’s story.

Parallel Structure

• Therefore to achieve intelligence, one must not just be able to change behavior, but create concepts that will allow for the being to analyze and relatively efficiently handle new challenges.

Parallel Structure

• This robot stood at five and a half feet tall, made out of wood, and painted white to simulate marble.

Which, That, Who

• It represents the thoughts of so many current conservatives that currently live in the world.

Which, That, Who

• It represents the thoughts of so many current conservatives that currently live in the worldthat currently live in the world.

• It represents the thoughts of many current conservatives.

Which, That, Who

• … such as the mechanical duck which could simply digest food.

Which, That, Who

• These robots are given the three laws which they must abide by.

Which, That, Who

• It is ingrained that things, which are unfamiliar, in most cases can be dangerous.

Which, That, Who

• In 1879 C. G. Gumpel invented “Mephisto” that he controlled with an electrical remote control.

Split Infinitives

• The robots of the movie industry need to only stay in the movie industry and never arrive in the world of the real.

Split Infinitives

• … because it is programmed to never kill a human.

Eats, Shoots and LeavesA panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up.“

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.

"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

Commas

• In order to do this his goal was …

Commas

• They are developed over time generally by observed example.

Commas

• Much the same occurs with all mammals and birds who are raised by their parents.

Where Writing Differs (or Not) from Speaking - Colloquialisms

• Our world is so brilliant and compartmentalized.

• If you have ever seen the movie, I Robot, Will Smith hated robots.

• As, we all know, the Turing Test …

Where Writing Differs (or Not) from Speaking – Grammar (My Opinion)

• None of these traits are found in humans.

not ok

• … robots that people can relate to …

ok