Beyond AI
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== Is it possible? == | == Is it possible? == | ||
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| + | Igor Aleksander says in his book "World in My Mind, My Mind in the World" on the first page: | ||
| + | : "I am convinced that in principle it is possible to design machines that are conscious in much the same way as I am. I am also convinced that this is a direct and uncluttered way of understanding what it is to be conscious. The strategy for designing conscious machines is tough but, in the end, doable." | ||
Is it possible to go beyond traditional AI? | Is it possible to go beyond traditional AI? | ||
| + | Some people are persuaded that "no computer | ||
| + | of the sort we know how to build—that is, one | ||
| + | made with wires and switches—will ever cross a | ||
| + | threshold to become aware of what it is doing." | ||
| + | (quote from Martin Gardner's | ||
| + | [http://www.ams.org/notices/200707/tx070700852p.pdf Review] | ||
| + | of Hofstaedter's book 'A strange loop'). | ||
| + | They are indeed right for computer | ||
| + | of the sort we use now, but this doesn't apply | ||
| + | for huge data centers and large networks of computers. | ||
Arguments about whether an artificial system | Arguments about whether an artificial system | ||
could ever be conscious range among scientists | could ever be conscious range among scientists | ||
from "possible in principle" to "sure". | from "possible in principle" to "sure". | ||
| + | The problem of strong AI is not a problem | ||
| + | in the sense of “could it possibly exist?”; | ||
| + | it is evidently an engineering problem. | ||
So the answer is: '''Yes''', of course, why not. | So the answer is: '''Yes''', of course, why not. | ||
| - | It should be possible. And if we really make software | + | It should be possible. Certainly we can engineer |
| + | someday a machine (or a network of machines) which is | ||
| + | conscious of itself, just like we are conscious of | ||
| + | ourselves. And if we really make software | ||
that comes to life, then [[Evolution|evolution]] will enter a new phase. | that comes to life, then [[Evolution|evolution]] will enter a new phase. | ||
There is no doubt that [[Self-Consciousness|self-consciousness]] | There is no doubt that [[Self-Consciousness|self-consciousness]] | ||
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: "Over the centuries, every other phenomenon of initially 'supernatural' mysteriousness has succumbed to an uncontroversial explanation within the commodious folds of physical science. Thales, the pre-Socratic protoscientist, thought the loadstone had a soul, but we now know better; magnetism is one of the best understood of physical phenomena, strange though its manifestations are. The 'miracles' of life itself, and of reproduction, are now analyzed into the well-known intricacies of molecular biology. Why should consciousness be any exception? Why should the brain be the only complex physical object in the universe to have an interface with another realm of being?" | : "Over the centuries, every other phenomenon of initially 'supernatural' mysteriousness has succumbed to an uncontroversial explanation within the commodious folds of physical science. Thales, the pre-Socratic protoscientist, thought the loadstone had a soul, but we now know better; magnetism is one of the best understood of physical phenomena, strange though its manifestations are. The 'miracles' of life itself, and of reproduction, are now analyzed into the well-known intricacies of molecular biology. Why should consciousness be any exception? Why should the brain be the only complex physical object in the universe to have an interface with another realm of being?" | ||
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| + | == Examples in fiction == | ||
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| + | In fiction and esp. science fiction, fictional characters equipped with artificial intelligence are common. They appear either in form of robots, or in form of avatars in virtual worlds. Two examples are: | ||
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| + | * A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachikoma Tachikoma] is a fictional artificial intelligence robot in the "Ghost in the Shell" universe | ||
| + | * ISOs or “isomorphic algorithms” are digitally-evolved independent forms of AI, artificial lifeforms that have somehow spontaneously evolved and emerged from the artificial environment of the virtual world in the film Tron:Legacy | ||
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== What is the problem ? == | == What is the problem ? == | ||
| - | + | John McCarthy and Marvin Minsky already tried | |
| + | to achieve human-level AI in 1950, when Minsky | ||
| + | came to Princeton as a graduate student. At this | ||
| + | time, the first neural networks were constructed, | ||
| + | and the concept of Cellular Automata (CA) was first | ||
| + | explored by von Neumann. Although | ||
| + | more than 50 years have passed, unfortunately | ||
| + | no computer has ever been designed that is | ||
aware of what it's doing. | aware of what it's doing. | ||
Many biologically inspired fields of computer | Many biologically inspired fields of computer | ||
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these years every day new things. Have we build a machine | these years every day new things. Have we build a machine | ||
or an agent which is able to learn 20 years? | or an agent which is able to learn 20 years? | ||
| - | No | + | No animal learns so long, and all animals except |
humans do not reach our levels of intelligence, | humans do not reach our levels of intelligence, | ||
even if we try to teach them they are not able to | even if we try to teach them they are not able to | ||
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threshold consists in building an adaptive agent | threshold consists in building an adaptive agent | ||
which is able to match the vast complexity of a whole world | which is able to match the vast complexity of a whole world | ||
| - | in a tiny space. Similar to the quest of quantum gravity, | + | in a tiny space, see [http://www.vetta.org/2008/08/comprehending-scale-of-brain/]. |
| + | Similar to the quest of quantum gravity, | ||
it is the attempt to match the very large and the very | it is the attempt to match the very large and the very | ||
small, the infinite and the infinitesimal: It means to put | small, the infinite and the infinitesimal: It means to put | ||
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Essays on Designing Minds" (p. 158/159): | Essays on Designing Minds" (p. 158/159): | ||
| - | : "After all, a normal human being is composed of trillions of parts (if we descend on the level of the macromolecules), and many of these rival in complexity and design cunning the fanciest artifacts that have ever been created. We consist of billions of cells, and a single human cell contains within itself complex 'machinery' that is still well beyond the artifactual powers of engineers. We are composed of thousands of different kinds of cells [...] If all that complexity were needed for consciousness to exist, then the task of making a single conscious robot would dwarf the enire scientific and engineering resources of the planet for millennia. And would pay for it?" | + | : "After all, a normal human being is composed of trillions of parts (if we descend on the level of the macromolecules), and many of these rival in complexity and design cunning the fanciest artifacts that have ever been created. We consist of billions of cells, and a single human cell contains within itself complex 'machinery' that is still well beyond the artifactual powers of engineers. We are composed of thousands of different kinds of cells [...] If all that complexity were needed for consciousness to exist, then the task of making a single conscious robot would dwarf the enire scientific and engineering resources of the planet for millennia. And who would pay for it?" |
== How will it happen? == | == How will it happen? == | ||
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: "A man, viewed as a behaving system, is quite simple. The apparent complexity of his behavior over time is largely a reflection of the complexity of the environment in which he finds himself." - H.A. Simon in "The Sciences of the Artificial" | : "A man, viewed as a behaving system, is quite simple. The apparent complexity of his behavior over time is largely a reflection of the complexity of the environment in which he finds himself." - H.A. Simon in "The Sciences of the Artificial" | ||
| - | Despite all these obstacles and failures, it | + | : "We may hope that machines will eventually compete with men in all purely intellectual fields. But which are the best ones to start with? Even this is a difficult decision. Many people think that a very abstract activity, like the playing chess, would be best. It can also be maintained that it is best to provide the machine with the best sense organs that money can buy, and teach it to understand and speak English. This process could follow the normal teaching of a child." - Alan M. Turing, [http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mind/LIX.236.433 Computing Machinery and Intelligence], MIND, LIX, 1950, p. 460] |
| - | is very likely that it is indeed possible | + | |
| - | to build a large distributed system of | + | Despite all these problems, obstacles and failures, it is very |
| + | likely that it is indeed possible to build a large distributed system of | ||
computers which is able to achieve [[Self-Consciousness|self-consciousness]] | computers which is able to achieve [[Self-Consciousness|self-consciousness]] | ||
| - | and which is aware of what it's doing. | + | and which is aware of what it's doing. How? |
| - | How? | + | |
Alan Turing's suggestion: | Alan Turing's suggestion: | ||
build a disorganized machine with the curiosity of a child. | build a disorganized machine with the curiosity of a child. | ||
| - | "Instead of trying to produce a | + | "Instead of trying to produce a program to simulate the adult mind, |
why not rather try to produce one which simulates the child's? If | why not rather try to produce one which simulates the child's? If | ||
this were then subjected to an appropriate course of education | this were then subjected to an appropriate course of education | ||
one would obtain the adult brain", see [http://www.loebner.net/Prizef/TuringArticle.html]. | one would obtain the adult brain", see [http://www.loebner.net/Prizef/TuringArticle.html]. | ||
That's exactly the right way: build an adaptive | That's exactly the right way: build an adaptive | ||
| - | agent that is able to learn. | + | agent that is able to learn. Such agents would |
be able to acquire self-consciousness in exactly the | be able to acquire self-consciousness in exactly the | ||
same way as we do, as Susan Blackmore says: | same way as we do, as Susan Blackmore says: | ||
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until it is able to understand a complex artificial | until it is able to understand a complex artificial | ||
3D world as complex as the real world. | 3D world as complex as the real world. | ||
| - | The agent should have a | + | The agent should have a scalable and adaptive |
architecture, and it should be able to learn. | architecture, and it should be able to learn. | ||
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find 50.000 servers you do not use anymore.. | find 50.000 servers you do not use anymore.. | ||
| - | It sounds paradox, but '''if we want to enable a system of computers to think about itself, we must prevent any detailed self-knowledge.''' | + | It sounds paradox, but '''if we want to enable a system of computers to think about itself, we must prevent any detailed self-knowledge.''' This is one of the puzzling aspects of self-consciousness: only those who are not aware what their "self" is made of can become aware of themselves, although the conscious awareness of the own thought processes enables self-consciousness. Only those of who do not know their own blueprint and their own internal neural circuits are able to become conscious of themselves. If we could perceive how our minds work on the microscopic level of neurons, we would drown in chaos and |
| - | If we could perceive how our minds work on | + | notice immediately that there is no central organizer or controller. Luckily, we are not able to examine our own internal neural circuits, especially not at a time when we develop the first forms of self-consciousness. The illusion of the self would |
| - | the microscopic level of neurons, we would | + | probably break down if a brain would be conscious of the distributed nature of it's own processing. In this sense, |
| - | notice that there is no central organizer or | + | [[Self-Consciousness|self-consciousness]] is only possible because the true nature of the self is not conscious to us.. |
| - | controller. The illusion of the self would | + | |
| - | probably break down if a brain would be | + | |
| - | conscious of the distributed nature of it's | + | |
| - | own processing. In this sense, | + | |
| - | [[Self-Consciousness|self-consciousness]] | + | |
| - | is only possible because the true nature of | + | |
| - | the self is not conscious to us.. | + | |
The complex adaptive system in question is | The complex adaptive system in question is | ||
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point where true self-consciousness can emerge. | point where true self-consciousness can emerge. | ||
| - | Koch and Tononi say " | + | Koch and Tononi say "to be conscious, then, you need to be a single integrated entity with a large repertoire of highly differentiated states.", see [http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/jun08/6278/3] or |
| + | [http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-theory-of-consciousness]. | ||
To summarize, in order to build a computer | To summarize, in order to build a computer | ||
system which is able to think about itself, | system which is able to think about itself, | ||
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- it will have difficulties to imagine what | - it will have difficulties to imagine what | ||
it is like to be dead | it is like to be dead | ||
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| + | - we will consider all technology so far suddenly as less intelligent. Robots which know seem to be intelligent will be reduced to artificial pets and are suddenly candidates for the machine zoos of the future. We are self-aware, our pets and animals are not. Therefore we consider ourselves as higher lifeforms. If we create a self-aware computer then a Playstation would be a kind of technological ape or monkey - a technological "lifeform" related to an evolutionary ancestor. | ||
== Links == | == Links == | ||
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| + | * Wikipedia Entry for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong_AI Strong AI] | ||
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| + | * [http://www.ectomental.com/ The Future of AI] according to Jordan Pollack | ||
* Alan Turing, [http://www.loebner.net/Prizef/TuringArticle.html "Computing Machinery and Intelligence"], Mind, October (1950) 433-460 | * Alan Turing, [http://www.loebner.net/Prizef/TuringArticle.html "Computing Machinery and Intelligence"], Mind, October (1950) 433-460 | ||
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* SEED article, [http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2008/03/out_of_the_blue.php Out of the blue] - Can a thinking, remembering, decision-making, biologically accurate brain be built from a supercomputer? | * SEED article, [http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2008/03/out_of_the_blue.php Out of the blue] - Can a thinking, remembering, decision-making, biologically accurate brain be built from a supercomputer? | ||
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| + | * Igor Aleksander, [http://www.amazon.com/World-My-Mind/dp/1845400216 World in My Mind, My Mind in the World], Imprint Academic (April 2005) | ||
