I read GEB when I was an undergrad in CS. (That wasn't really 20 years ago, was it?!?) I was just barely able to follow the math and AI theory. But thanks to the Escher and Bach interludes, I got a chance to stop climbing mental mountains and enjoy the scenery.
In the new preface, DH says, "GEB is a very personal attempt to say how it is that animate beings can come out of inanimate matter." (I will be rereading it with that in mind.) This is more than just AI. For some additional insight into this theme, check out "Emergence: From Chaos to Order" by John H. Holland. I think he even references GEB there.
More than AI (Score:1)
In the new preface, DH says, "GEB is a very personal attempt to say how it is that animate beings can come out of inanimate matter." (I will be rereading it with that in mind.) This is more than just AI. For some additional insight into this theme, check out "Emergence: From Chaos to Order" by John H. Holland. I think he even references GEB there.