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1. A “must read” for all who sense that the current approach taken to AI is more than a bit “off”
   This book is a “must read” for all who sense that the current approach taken to AI is more than a bit “off”/incoherent.Do read the Amazon description of the book, for it does do a great job of summarizing the content of this fascinating work. And do note that the book does cover a lot of ground! It is rich in detail and reflects Robbins’ meticulous research – and broad and comprehensive background/experience. Robbins was both a university professor and software application architect and project manager — who has published extensively – both books and academic journal articles – and who also has an extensive YouTube channel dedicated to a host of fascinating notions connected to what he calls “Bergson’s Holographic Theory.”There are now a host of individuals indebted to Robbins for uncovering and sharing the holographic theory present in the work of the French philosopher Henri Bergson. And there is now, thankfully, a resurgence of interest in Bergson’s work; and nobody is more responsible for this than Stephen Earle Robbins. Like Bergson, Robbins is a man ahead of his time – and what he says about the nature of AI, time, memory, perception, and consciousness is very much an alternative to the orthodox views on these subjects!This book is well-written and a very, very refreshing read. Each chapter builds on the previous chapter and while each chapter may challenge you (due to the unorthodox views that are presented), once the content is assimilated, the reader is rewarded. (It is also important to note that each chapter contains a “References” section that is quite thorough.)One of Robbins’ main areas of interest is ecological psychology – which is grounded in the work of the psychologist/perception theorist J.J. Gibson. And for years, Robbins has been pointing out that the power of Gibson’s work cannot be fully realized/understood until Gibson’s work is placed within the context of the work of Bergson – and what Robbins calls the “temporal metaphysic.” In The Challenge to AI, Robbins is proposing that AI needs to be approached in a similar fashion. The Challenge to AI ends with a section entitled “The Requirements for a Conscious ‘Device’.” And in summary, basically, throughout the book, Robbins argues that these requirements (“a minimum set of requirements that must be met if we are to create an ‘intelligent device’ equivalent to a human in intelligence”) need to be grounded in a temporal metaphysic. If this challenges us, so be it — for if AI is “misplayed,” where are we?Consider an alternative approach to AI – read this book – and be rewarded.

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2. Steve Robbins has provided a robust theory and framework that situates artificial intelligence (AI) within a concrete philosophy. In so doing, he articulates a novel way of understanding the dynamics of the human brain, of consciousness, of human thought and creation, of perception and memory, and of time, that is little understood among contemporary researchers in these fields. This book should be read by all of the Elon Musks of the world as a guidepost and a grounding vision that explains what these machines actually do, what they are capable of doing, and what their intrinsic limitations are.This book is a ground-breaking and revolutionary work that serves as a powerful antidote to the SciFi-level embellishment and general mass confusion occurring both in academic circles and in popular discourse regarding the question of AI. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever struggled with these questions and who is looking for a refreshing approach to a problem that is little understood. Readers will walk away with a knowledge of philosophy and the sciences that spans disciplines and academic divides, that diagnoses the inherent ongoing problems in these disciplines, and that offers unifying, concrete, viable solutions. I have a feeling this book will be considered canonical by many for years to come.

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