Tag: Artificial intelligence

A machine in the likeness of a human mind

In the fictional far future of the classic science fiction novel, 'Dune', computers are taboo across all human cultures, the result of an ancient jihad which resulted in the religious commandment: "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind."  The result of this commandment, is that computers, robots, or artificial intelligence … Continue reading A machine in the likeness of a human mind →

Michael Graziano on building a brain

I've written a few times on the Attention Theory schema of consciousness.  It's a theory I like because it's scientific, eschewing any mystical steps, such as assuming that consciousness just magically arises at a certain level of complexity.  It's almost certainly not perfect, but I think it's a major step in the right direction. Michael Graziano, … Continue reading Michael Graziano on building a brain →

Robot masters new skills through trial and error

Related to our various AI discussions, I noticed this news: Robot masters new skills through trial and error -- ScienceDaily. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed algorithms that enable robots to learn motor tasks through trial and error using a process that more closely approximates the way humans learn, marking a major milestone in … Continue reading Robot masters new skills through trial and error →

Emotional versus intellectual attributions of consciousness

Click through for full sized version and the red button caption. via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. This SMBC reminds me of a concept that I've been debating on ways to express, but a brief comment here seems like the opportunity to do so.  We've had a lot of discussions about exactly when we might start to … Continue reading Emotional versus intellectual attributions of consciousness →

Should we fear AI? Neil deGrasse Tyson’s answer is the right one.

HuffPost has an article up with quotes from various people on the dangers, or non-dangers of artificial intelligence.  They include the usual suspects: Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, etc.  Most of them express concern about the dangers.  But I think Neil deGrasse Tyson's is the only answer from this group worth listening to. There are … Continue reading Should we fear AI? Neil deGrasse Tyson’s answer is the right one. →

What do you think about machines that think?

The Edge question for this year was, "What do you think about machines that think?"  There are a lot of good responses, and some predictably inane ones.  Daniel Dennett gives a good write up on why the Singularity is overblown, and points out something that I've said myself, that the real danger isn't artificial intelligence, but … Continue reading What do you think about machines that think? →

When should we consider an AI a fellow being?

Fears of AI (artificial intelligence) are still showing up the media, most recently with another quote from Stephen Hawking warning that it might be the end of us, with Elon Musk, due to his own anxious statements, now being referenced whenever the subject comes up.  I've written many times before why I think these fears … Continue reading When should we consider an AI a fellow being? →

Enthusiasts and Skeptics Debate Artificial Intelligence

Kurt Anderson has an interesting article at Vanity Fair that looks at the debate among technologists about the singularity: Enthusiasts and Skeptics Debate Artificial Intelligence | Vanity Fair. Machines performing unimaginably complicated calculations unimaginably fast—that’s what computers have always done. Computers were called “electronic brains” from the beginning. But the great open question is whether a … Continue reading Enthusiasts and Skeptics Debate Artificial Intelligence →