I don't know the quote in question, but it sounds interesting. A little searching turned up two interesting thoughts from Dijkstra on AI:
Finally, to correct the possible impression that the inability to face radical novelty is confined to the industrial world, let me offer you an explanation of the continuing popularity of artificial intelligence. You would expect people to feel threatened by the “giant brains or machines that think”. In fact, the frightening computer becomes less frightening if it is used only to simulate a familiar noncomputer. I am sure that this explanation will remain controversial for quite some time for artificial intelligence, as a mimicking of the human mind, prefers to view itself as being at the front line, whereas my explanation relegates it to the rearguard. (The effort of using machines to mimic the human mind has always struck me as rather silly. I would rather use them to mimic something better.
“The question of whether computers can think is like the question of whether submarines can swim”
Finally, to correct the possible impression that the inability to face radical novelty is confined to the industrial world, let me offer you an explanation of the continuing popularity of artificial intelligence. You would expect people to feel threatened by the “giant brains or machines that think”. In fact, the frightening computer becomes less frightening if it is used only to simulate a familiar noncomputer. I am sure that this explanation will remain controversial for quite some time for artificial intelligence, as a mimicking of the human mind, prefers to view itself as being at the front line, whereas my explanation relegates it to the rearguard. (The effort of using machines to mimic the human mind has always struck me as rather silly. I would rather use them to mimic something better.
“The question of whether computers can think is like the question of whether submarines can swim”