sol2070 reviewed Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers
Old school AI fiction
4 stars
(em português → sol2070.in/2023/09/Fic%C3%A7%C3%A3o-sobre-IA-oldschool )
I read the novel "Galatea 2.2" (1995) because I had become a big fan of Richard Powers, for his book "The Overstory". It's about a writer who is asked to train a neural network -- in the "old-fashioned way", with 90s tech -- to pass a test by commenting on literary classics. Had she developed a genuine subjective awareness?
I'd give an 8. I was disappointed that it wasn't as strong as "The Overstory", but that was only my half-unconscious expectation. It's not science fiction like I'm used to, being much more "high literature" than I imagined, but it was a nice surprise. There is, for example, a very well-told love story. I was surprised at how involved I became, as this is a genre that usually doesn't appeal to me.
Much of the story is based on Powers' own biography. I liked it a …
(em português → sol2070.in/2023/09/Fic%C3%A7%C3%A3o-sobre-IA-oldschool )
I read the novel "Galatea 2.2" (1995) because I had become a big fan of Richard Powers, for his book "The Overstory". It's about a writer who is asked to train a neural network -- in the "old-fashioned way", with 90s tech -- to pass a test by commenting on literary classics. Had she developed a genuine subjective awareness?
I'd give an 8. I was disappointed that it wasn't as strong as "The Overstory", but that was only my half-unconscious expectation. It's not science fiction like I'm used to, being much more "high literature" than I imagined, but it was a nice surprise. There is, for example, a very well-told love story. I was surprised at how involved I became, as this is a genre that usually doesn't appeal to me.
Much of the story is based on Powers' own biography. I liked it a lot, but the writer's egotrips can make those who read it expecting only scifi impatient.
Although it was written almost 30 years ago, the moving reflection on what is consciousness or life remains relevant today. And the technical details are believable, as the author has also worked as a programmer.