Artificial intelligence: science fiction or simply science?
Linked by Eugenia Loli on Mon 28th May 2012 03:53 UTC
General Development FuriousFanBoys interviews Ben Goertzel regarding Artificial Intelligence. Ben started the OpenCog project (an open sourced AI non-profit), acts as an adviser to the Singularity University, and currently bounces back between Hong Kong and Maryland building in-game AI.
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RE: Memetics
by zima on Mon 28th May 2012 05:52 UTC in reply to "Memetics"
zima
Member since:
2005-07-06

Does an individual neuron know of the consciousness* of the entire network?

More crucially, does the network know of consciousness of other networks? ("higher" or "lesser" ones, very different or presumably likewise ones, whatever)

Yeah, we usually grant consciousness to fellow homo sapiens - probably largely because of how we see ourselves and how we like to be seen by others
(while we of course tend to outright deny any similar animal capability ...which is most likely a continuum; IMHO at least some higher ones experience world in a not too dissimilar way, at least like when we're often "mindlessly" occupied by something and without internal vocalisations)

However, who knows how many philosophical zombies surround us... (and how many "bots" comment on OSNews? Maybe you are one? Maybe I am... ;) )
And consider: while we have very strong feeling of "monolithic me" - split-brain patients are virtually unchanged (mostly only with some "glitches"). Or: there is one localised brain trauma which results in people becoming completely blind without them realizing it ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton–Babinski_syndrome ). Generally, go through a list of cognitive biases - that is our primary mode of operation, the level of grasp we have on our minds.

Our intelligence is completely tied to our evolutionary needs, and so is the intelligence of machines. Just like we have mostly dominated the natural world with our evolved intelligence, so have machines dominated the information world with theirs.

Reminded me about one quote, something like "the question of whether a machine can think is no more interesting than whether a submarine can swim"
And also about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravec's_paradox

Edited 2012-05-28 05:53 UTC

Reply Parent Score: 2

RE[2]: Memetics
by kwan_e on Mon 28th May 2012 06:10 in reply to "RE: Memetics"
kwan_e Member since:
2007-02-18

"Does an individual neuron know of the consciousness* of the entire network?

More crucially, does the network know of consciousness of other networks? ("higher" or "lesser" ones, very different or presumably likewise ones, whatever) "

Recently, I've been thinking that an advanced alien civilization may judge intelligence based on the the intelligence of a civilization's planet-wide network.

Neill deGrasse Tyson thinks an alien race would pass us by just as we would pass by a worm. However, a planet-wide network may attract attention.

Reply Parent Score: 2

RE[3]: Memetics
by zima on Mon 4th Jun 2012 23:53 in reply to "RE[2]: Memetics"
zima Member since:
2005-07-06

I don't know if it would attract that much attention... the more advanced our communication methods become, the more "hidden" they seem to be, and less recognizable from noise.
(powerful radio transmitters with simple modulation of the old days, vs. fiber optics and very complex - spread spectrum, and such - radio methods of now)

So I'd guess the most "visible" aspects of us might come from ~individual levels; or at least good old ~societal ...probably hysterical, too. Something like a decision to launch barrage of nuclear warheads, if I'd have to guess; those should be quite visible, at least when exploding.

Anyway, "passing by" in a grand style popularised by cheap scifi (a form of cargo cults, really) isn't very likely to happen - for one, if you expand an effort to go somewhere, you likely want to stay there, given what the physics in this universe seems to be (and transport methods of advanced civilisation would likely be unorthodox, vs. "grand scifi style" - more something like ~embryo colonisation, maybe seeding of nanotech and transmitting yourself; and generally gradual hopping across Oort clouds seems most probable)

Edited 2012-06-05 00:09 UTC

Reply Parent Score: 2