Computers could be like humans in every respect. They could have the intelligence to understand Shakespeare's plays, Napoleon's military strategy, Einstein's theories of relativity. They could have the creativity to paint pictures and compose symphonies, design buildings and invent devices. They could be appreciative of humour and beauty, sensitive to criticism and compassion, motivated by curiosity and ego. And computers could be conscious in the same way as humans. Such computers do not currently exist, but they will.
This book is about humans and computers, creativity, emotions and consciousness. It is about the intriguing possibility that the computers of the future will be as worthy of the epithet 'human' as their human creators.
