Я, Робот
The Evitable Conflict
"Theonlywaya`wrongdatum’canbeforcedontheMachineistoincludeitaspartofaself-consistentwhole,allofwhichissubtlywronginamannereithertoodelicatefortheMachinetodetectoroutsidetheMachine’sexperience.Theformerisbeyondhumancapacity,andthelatterisalmostso,andisbecomingmorenearlysoastheMachine’sexperienceincreasesbythesecond."
StephenByerleyplacedtwofingerstothebridgeofhisnose,"ThentheMachinecannotbetamperedwith-Andhowdoyouaccountforrecenterrors,then?"
"MydearByerley,Iseethatyouinstinctivelyfollowthatgreaterror–thattheMachineknowsall.Letmeciteyouacasefrommypersonalexperience.Thecottonindustryengagesexperiencedbuyerswhopurchasecotton.Theirprocedureistopullatuftofcottonoutofarandombaleofalot.Theywilllookatthattuftandfeelit,teaseitout,listentothecracklingperhapsastheydoso,touchitwiththeirtongue,andthroughthisproceduretheywilldeterminetheclassofcottonthebalesrepresent.Thereareaboutadozensuchclasses.Asaresultoftheirdecisions,purchasesaremadeatcertainprices,blendsaremadeincertainproportions.-NowthesebuyerscannotyetbereplacedbytheMachine."
"Whynot?Surelythedatainvolvedisnottoocomplicatedforit?"
"Probablynot.Butwhatdataisthisyoureferto?Notextilechemistknowsexactlywhatitisthatthebuyertestswhenhefeelsatuftofcotton.
