Image: http://openarchitectures.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/an-interview-with-nicholas-negroponte/
Nicholas Negroponte stated a very controversial review about the approach of machines. His dictum was indeed referring about the unsuccessful approach of architects, which are unable to handle large-scale problems and also ignore small-scale issues. Otherwise, he suggest that in order to achieve environmental humanism is indispensable the use of machines, which is a highly contradictory and sets down the concept of a paradox.
The main five points that the author mentions about the characteristics that an architecture machine must have are the following: the heuristic mechanism, the rote apparatus, conditioning device, reward selector and forgetting convenience. All this inputs allow the machine to “learn” by itself; but indeed, the machine does not learn or improve, it just increases its data base according to the information that the architect or designer puts on it.
It is a fact that a machine cannot be self-conscious, for the moment. Instead, it needs someone who can create a database, set all the inputs and give the commands. The dictum mentioned by the author is considerably far from reality and underestimate the role of architects by considering the relevance of the architecture machine far above from architects.
To consider that a machine can learn and evolve by itself is nowadays impossible; I personally believe that machines are tools handled by and for people´s benefits instead of considering that machines can actually replace real designers.
I truly believe that the relevance of machines nowadays is really important, due to the necessity of people to stay away the consumerism status that predominates today´s society. In that sense, I would like to research about the impact of domestic machinery and how can it help people to design and produce their own products.