Not sure what to make of this one: ELON MUSK: Killer Robots Will Be Here Within 5 Years - Business Insider. Elon Musk has been ranting about killer robots again. Musk posted a comment on the futurology site Edge.org, warning readers that developments in AI could bring about robots that may autonomously decide that it is … Continue reading Elon Musk: Killer robots will be here within 5 Years
Tag: Brain
Push back against AI alarmism
We're finally starting to see some push back against the AI (artificial intelligence) alarmism that has been so prevalent in the media lately. People like Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, Max Tegmark, and many others have sounded the alarm. Given my previous post from last night, I think these alarms are premature at best, and are … Continue reading Push back against AI alarmism
Human level AI is always 20 years in the future
Steven Pinker highlighted this study which tracks the predictions of when human level AI (artificial intelligence) will be achieved. According to the paper, the predictions cluster around predicting that it will be achieved in 15-25 years, and they have been doing so for the last 60 or so years. The paper also notes that expert predictions have fared … Continue reading Human level AI is always 20 years in the future
The tale of the neuroscientists and the computer
Joshua Brown has a sobering editorial on the state of our understanding of the brain. Warning: it requires some familiarity with how a computer works to understand his point: Frontiers | The tale of the neuroscientists and the computer: why mechanistic theory matters | Brain Imaging Methods. Once upon a time, a group of neuroscientists happened … Continue reading The tale of the neuroscientists and the computer
Biology uses quantum effects.
When I first saw this article by Jim Al-Khalili and Johnjoe McFadden, my skeptical reflex kicked and I was, well, skeptical. Often when quantum mechanics gets mentioned with biology, it's questionable material. But I've seen enough of Al-Khalili's other work, and as President of the British Humanist Association, I'm not inclined to think he's subject to being … Continue reading Biology uses quantum effects.
The attention schema theory of consciousness deserves your…attention
Michael Graziano published a brief article in the New York Times on his attention schema theory of consciousness, which a number of my fellow bloggers have linked to and discussed. I'm not sure this article was the clearest description of it that he's given, and I suspect the title biased readers to think his theory is another consciousness-is-an-illusion … Continue reading The attention schema theory of consciousness deserves your…attention
Saying that mind uploading will never be possible is unwarranted
This question came up on Quora: 3 What percent chance is there that whole brain emulation or mind uploading to a neural prosthetic will be feasible by 2048? - Quora. After seeing a number of skeptical responses, many claiming that mind uploading was inherently impossible or even incoherent, I posted the following reply: I think mind … Continue reading Saying that mind uploading will never be possible is unwarranted
US parents, think carefully before you let your kids play football
You won't see posts on this blog very often about sports. Not really one of my interests. But I think this is an issue that needs to be widely known. Scientists Dissected the Brains of 79 NFL Players. What They Found Is Disturbing. | Mother Jones. Yesterday, the country's leading investigators of sports-related brain injuries released … Continue reading US parents, think carefully before you let your kids play football
Split brains and functioning consciousness
I've written before about split-brain patients, those who, due to severe epilepsy, had the connections between the two hemispheres of their brain severed, yet were subsequently able to lead normal lives without themselves even noticing any cognitive change, which has profound implications for how consciousness works. It turns out that there are people who are … Continue reading Split brains and functioning consciousness
The vast majority of us are not “Homo economicus”.
Often, when I write about moral instincts, people respond with assertions that we're essentially selfish creatures and that nothing about morality is natural. There's a name for this concept of the solely self serving human being, "Homo economicus." The Neuroskeptic discusses a study that looked for them: Spotted at last: "Homo economicus"? - Neuroskeptic | DiscoverMagazine.com. … Continue reading The vast majority of us are not “Homo economicus”.
SelfAwarePatterns 