Can a Machine Know

Humans were the only beings who were considered as knowers in ancient times. However, the invention of complex machines and advancement in artificial intelligence in the last two centuries has changed that notion and led to the question of �can a machine know?’ To know can be defined in various ways; to have information about something which is a result of experience, to have learned or been told it. In addition to that, it can also mean to realize, understand or be aware of something. If machines can know as it might be suggested, can they and should they replace humans?

A machine is a man-made device that is used to perform work. There are many different kinds of machines ranging from simple machines such as a screw, wheel and axle to more complex machines such as computers, robots and so on. The latter are epitomes of the modern machines, they can know to an extent and their examples will be used in this essay.

Computers or robots cannot feel emotions, for example they cannot undergo happiness, anger, embarrassment, envy, hatred and so on. Most of these intricate emotions are regarded as only human traits.

Moreover, a robot or a computer is not particularly adept at language. They may have a lot of words and sentences programmed in them, but they cannot speak like humans. They do not have the aptitude to compose a sonnet and they have not passed the Turing test. “The essence of the Turing test is a conversation, via a teletype, on any topic whatsoever, between a person, a computer and a judge (a human). The judge's goal is to decide which of the respondents is human.”1 The failure to pass this test shows that complex machines lack in the ability to converse consistently like humans. This clearly highlights the fact that artificial intelligence is still limited in certain ways of knowing.

However, a computer can also reason rationally by using logic. This was evidenced on 11th May 1997 when a machine beat a world chess champion - “…Gary Kasparov, lost the sixth game and the match to a machine; … IBM's Deep Blue was the first machine to defeat a world champion. Within the limits imposed by the game, this machine seemed to think ….”2 Hence, the ability of the machine to think and follow the rules of the game while defeating the world champion attests to the fact that some kind of machines can reason because in order to play chess well, a person needs a high level of logic and reasoning; and artificial intelligence was proved superior to that of great humans.

Furthermore, a robot or computer has a well-developed sense of perception. They can be equipped with all kinds of radars and detectors and can perceive different senses such as sounds, movement, touch and smell. “For now, scientists have been able to design visual robots…, enabling motion detection far more accurate than humans are capable of.”3 This portrays how robots are capable of sight and they can be better than humans in visualizing. “In January this year, a hand-held robotic tongue was unveiled to the world…this tongue is able to distinguish not only between two different wines from the same winery but also between different years!”4. Robots like this one can also taste – and that is to a noteworthy level of professional wine tasters. These developments demonstrate that robots can have sense of perception better than that of humans.

From these ways of knowing, it is determined that some machines can know to an extent because they have information that has been programmed into them, for example a calculator knows that 1+2=3 because that is how it has been made. They also gain some knowledge by perceiving in their environment – a seismograph can measure the magnitude of an earthquake and record the information and so on.

Therefore, some machines such as computers or robots can know to a limited extent and have the capability of replacing humans in the workforce. Some areas where machines are now preferred over humans are in pharmacies to count and label prescriptions, as self-service machines, in hospital operations as laparoscopic surgery robots etc. “Jobs which require speed, accuracy, reliability or endurance can be performed far better by a robot than a human.”5 Robots are programmed in such a way that they do not commit mistakes making them accurate and reliable. Furthermore, they do not get tired like humans do thus they are faster and have more endurance than humans. In addition to that, they are cheap because they are not required to be paid salaries or any other kinds of bonuses, promotions, health benefits etcetera. They can work continuously; hence fewer robots can do the work of more humans. All these advantages have led to owners replacing their human taskforce with robots.

There are some benefits of having robots in the task force. Robots are used to do