Thinking, Learning, and Machine Intelligence

Meanderings into Artificial Intelligence without much prior knowledge is certainly an adventure, to say the least!   I've posted my early thoughts as the 2nd entry on the Musings page.

Levels of Machine Thinking

If making a simple decision based on stored instructions can be considered as the most fundamental form of machine thinking, what capability should be added to go to the next level of thinking? Is it possible to provide  control algorithms that would permit the device to make some choices on its own, perhaps based on newly stored data or upon trial and error until it gets some expected result?

Humans and animals can be influenced in such situations by being rewarded for making one kind of decision or punished for choosing the alternative. BUT.  How does one reward or punish a machine?

Computers don’t know anything. Despite having huge amounts of information stored in its memory banks, a computer just waits for instructions telling it how to retrieve and manipulate this information.  As an example, it has no concept of what a number is. Surprise! Yet numbers are the basis for all of its actions. If one Opens a word processing Application [App] and  types ‘3’, a 3 shows up on the display and a 3 can be printed by a connected printer. The keyboard contains a rudimentary computer that encodes each keystroke with a number from a look-up table [ASCII] that is sent to the word processing App. If one types ‘three’ the computer receives ’74 65 72 65 65’ [octal] and the App displays ‘three’ by converting the ASCII numbers back to text. [Octal is a shortcut way of writing a binary number. What is really sent for ’t’ is 0100 1010].  If a user Opens a Calculator App it accepts only ASCII values which represent numbers on a keyboard.  If one addresses a computer vocally; such as, “Siri, what is three?” {Without knowing the details] Siri examines a stored dictionary and speaks the entry, “three, a cardinal number, equivalent to the sum of one and two; one more than two.”  There is no App with which one can enter … Computer. Learn what three is. 

I’m convinced that just the process of storing data does not, in itself, constitute Learning. We need to learn what a Learning Algorithm should be able to do.  Certainly ‘understanding’ is part of Learning and probably a constituent of Consciousness, but how would one code it?

On Artificial Intelligence

Just at the time in my life when I can hardly put two thoughts together, I have become intrigued by a few Luddites who would stop explorations in Artificial Intelligence [AI] fearing progress in an Intelligent Machine may allow it to improve itself far beyond human intelligence and thus become a danger to mankind.

My first response is, as I have remarked elsewhere; “We are doing what we are designed to do.”  Live with it.

My second response is that, in the foreseeable future, at best AI will become able to clone parts of itself … but will need that Xmas eve nemesis of parents … Some Assembly Required  [SAR] to be applied, or not, by mere humans.

As for sexual reproduction, which aids in infusion of new abilities … if the machines get there, I want to go along.

It is most likely that machine thinking will be directed by built-in read-only algorithms to seek only improvement in controlled areas of thought. So.

Relax! Enjoy the benefits to come!

Particle Physics and Sudoku

Particle Physics is in some ways like an infinitely difficult Sudoku.  An improper clue or a mistake anywhere in the progression may not show up until the final square. Then the entire effort crumbles. Everything that appeared to work then must be questioned.  At that point one must go back to the beginning and start anew since it seems impossible to backtrack.  To backtrack in theoretical or experimental physics is highly improbable, as each step along the way is a child of some great mind.  Some new thinker must say, ”Here is what you missed.” 

On Consciousness

Perhaps the first order of business for a conscious being or system is self preservation and avoidance of damage.

In the simplest system the only requirement is a detector. Such consciousness would be unobservable unless it includes an ability to respond in some manner. An example of a simple system would be a light detector which upon detecting light would turn itself ‘off’, perhaps by temporarily closing an aperture to the detector. I think that this could be the most primitive consciousness … a detector and a response to something detected.
Now, what I think of as self-consciousness is a huge order of magnitudes in complexity beyond this.

Grace Cavalieri

To ‘review’ poetry requires reading with comprehension words, groups of words, often scattered or invented words, sometimes words with no rhyme or reason, and often words requiring vast knowledge of ancient history or writings. Each poet seeks to encode their vision of the struggles encountered in life in some way that is original to themselves. So the reviewer must be able to understand the needs of the poet in his/her attempts for originality. Grace Cavalieri is both a published poet and an excellent reviewer. Her reviews can be viewed at: 

http://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/

For me it is difficult to comprehend how Cavalieri, in the time allotted by publishing ‘deadlines’, can absorb so many books, determine which are worthy of reviews, write the reviews … and still have time for her own creative efforts. Time is an unforgiving lover. 

On Being Awake

How important is being awake when one is in their 90’s? I suppose that sleeping all night and then most of the day is, in a way, a kindness. But after many years of setting daily goals and trying to achieve ‘something’, it is difficult to just do nothing because one can’t stay awake. I’ve been a tea drinker all my life, hot and cold, but gave it up a few years ago on the advice of a cardiologist. It did not help with an irregular heart beat, so now I am a ‘user’ again in an effort to stay awake. I have found that Provigil does keep me awake and seems to help in doing things again … but the cost of around $1100 for a month’s supply of the generic makes one seriously question … How important is being awake?