Robin, both readings are possible: Schank still approves of his younger self’s methodology, or Schank now regrets it and sees his younger self as a sloppy fool. I shan’t argue the point, though it seems to me the former reading is more consistent with the text. But Schank would have to move far beyond that initial point to become a careful reasoner about futurism, and the rest of the text provides no reason to assume he has made this effort. Why does he believe what he believes? What does he think he knows and how does he think he knows it? For most people asked to comment on the future of AI 50 years hence, there is no answer to this question that takes the issue apart into premises and evidence and theories and predictions. They are just making stuff up that fits their current mood. This is the strong prior; I see no evidence here which overrides it.
Robin, both readings are possible: Schank still approves of his younger self’s methodology, or Schank now regrets it and sees his younger self as a sloppy fool. I shan’t argue the point, though it seems to me the former reading is more consistent with the text. But Schank would have to move far beyond that initial point to become a careful reasoner about futurism, and the rest of the text provides no reason to assume he has made this effort. Why does he believe what he believes? What does he think he knows and how does he think he knows it? For most people asked to comment on the future of AI 50 years hence, there is no answer to this question that takes the issue apart into premises and evidence and theories and predictions. They are just making stuff up that fits their current mood. This is the strong prior; I see no evidence here which overrides it.