AI - a load of tosh?

[golem]

Theres a programme on Horizon tonight in the UK about AI and it's about the idea that by 2029 computers will equal the power of the human brain. I think this is a pile of ostrich feathers. Computers will never be intelligent they are dumb soulless automatons. Their inability to think is why programming is so goddam hard. These crazy scientists think we may be able to download our brains and live indefinitely. I'm no religious fanatic but yeah right!
What do you guys think?

[Wilse]

Meh.... I'll watch it and see. :-)

Their inability to think is why programming is so goddam hard.

Programming is not hard.


/Yes I know it's a blanket statement that doesn't apply to every situation/person, but then so was your comment.

[Karlos]

"Intelligent" systems are very rarely programmed. They are trained.

[golem]

Karlos wrote:
"Intelligent" systems are very rarely programmed. They are trained.

True but behind that system of heuristics sits a deterministic algorithm that some logic circuits mindlessly execute.

[Karlos]

True but behind that system of heuristics sits a deterministic algorithm that some logic circuits mindlessly execute.

Different from the electrochemical signalling between neurons in what way, exactly?

[golem]

Karlos wrote:

True but behind that system of heuristics sits a deterministic algorithm that some logic circuits mindlessly execute.

Different from the electrochemical signalling between neurons in what way, exactly?

I would like to think different in the way that we can feel them happening in our brains. A heuristic system doesn't feel its logic circuits or anything for that matter. You could counter that feelings are just another type of system I suppose but I would say that makes you alienated. They put people on antipsychotics for thinking they are a robot you know  :-)

[Karlos]

Unless you can demonstrate a significant functional difference between natural and artificial self-organising information processing systems, given the latter are modelled on the former, how can you confidently conclude that artifical systems are incapable of these things?

They likey are not be capable at this stage of their development, no more than a worm's cortex is at creating literature. Yet, the same basic neural cells grouped into vastly larger clusters ulitmately are.

Furthermore, there's no reason to assume that future neural net machines will be entirely semiconductor based. Scientists have already demonstrated neural cells from some snail or worm (can't recall which) being used to perform binary addition.

[iamaboringperson]

golem wrote:

Karlos wrote:

True but behind that system of heuristics sits a deterministic algorithm that some logic circuits mindlessly execute.

Different from the electrochemical signalling between neurons in what way, exactly?

I would like to think different in the way that we can feel them happening in our brains. A heuristic system doesn't feel its logic circuits or anything for that matter. You could counter that feelings are just another type of system I suppose but I would say that makes you alienated. They put people on antipsychotics for thinking they are a robot you know  :-)

'feel it's logic circuits'?
Emotions are implemented in the human brain as networks of neurons 'firing' and chemical reactions.

What would make that not possible to emulate in electronics?

You have to remember that all that happens in your mind - you emotions and you thaught - happens through matter. All of those processes can be emulated in synthetic systems.

[blobrana]

Hum,
future computers maybe organic rather that say silicon etc.
It would be difficult to say that computers would not add up more than the sum of their parts.

[Wilse]

Wilse wrote:
Meh.... I'll watch it and see. :-)

OK, watched it.
Interesting programme but not convinced.

[Karlos]

Not sure about the timescale but I wouldn't be surprised if a machine passes a full Turing test some day.

[Wilse]

@Karlos:

Indeed, it's the timescale I have doubts about.

[golem]

I thought it was interesting but they didn't really show any computers being intelligent concentrated more on the growing interface between humans and computers. I thought the guy in charge of the quantum computer was "knitting with only one needle"! His laugh was maniac.  

[Karlos]

Yeah, he was definately a bit of a twitcher.

However, having studied QM in enough depth to elucidate the strange chemical properties of atoms and molecules I can fully understand why :lol: