Fastfission wrote:
Excerpt from NY Times Magazine, "Questions for Douglas Hofstadter", 4/1/07:
Q. Your entry in Wikipedia says that your work has inspired many students to begin careers in computing and artificial intelligence.
A. I have no interest in computers. The entry is filled with inaccuracies, and it kinds of depresses me.
Sorry to say, but in this case it's Hofstadter, not us, who is wrong. His book _Goedel, Escher, Bach_ in particular *has* inspired many students to begin careers in computing and artificial intelligence, whether to not he likes that fact. The claim should be better referenced, but that's not too hard to do since there are dozens of prominent researchers who have cited his book as an influence. Hell, my own advisor cites it as an influence.
-Mark