Should We Be Looking For Artificial Extraterrestrial Intelligence?

The BBC reports on SETI astronomer Seth Shostak recent suggestion that the odds favor detecting alien artificial extraterrestrial rather than extraterrestrial biological life.

This is an interesting suggestion, especially given the idea that such visitors to our planet, namely the creepy short grey aliens made so famous by Whitley Strieber, are already thought to be androids/robots/somethings by some in the UFO & alien abduction world.

Also, multiple science fiction greats have written about robots being the first wave of alien contact, from Harry Bates’ Gort (Gnut) in ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ (based on the short story “Farewell to the Master”) and H.G Wells’ Martian Tripods in ‘The War of the Worlds’ alien robots made contact with earth before or along with their extraterrestrial creators.