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DarkLordoftheMonkeys

Popular misconceptions on artificial intelligence

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DarkLordoftheMonkeys
, 02-12-2010 at 10:36 AM (1142 Views)
I was inspired to write this blog by an article I saw on thetechharald.com:

http://www.thetechherald.com/article...-TrueCompanion

There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding as to what artificial intelligence really is. The fact that this sex doll's creator refers to it as an AI is an example of this. Let me make this clear: artificial intelligence is software, or other technological media, that exhibits some properties of intelligence, namely:

- Natural language processing
- The ability to learn
- The ability to think creatively and find solutions to problems on its own
- The ability to act on its own
- Awareness of its own thoughts

Some of these have not been successfully implemented, and it is uncertain whether they can be implemented.

The problem is it is hard to tell whether a machine is really aware of itself, or if it can really learn on its own, rather than simply adding information to a database. This is why the Turing test exists.

I seriously doubt that this robot would pass the Turing test. It is a dumb machine with a limited range of voice capabilities. If I were the examiner, and I was talking to two beings, with one of whom I was carrying on an intelligent conversation about whether mathematics was discovered or invented, and the other of who could only muster so much as "Ooh! I know where you could put that hand.", I would know which one was the human and which one was the sex doll.

If it is, indeed, intelligent, then I would find it a debasement of computer science. Teach a man to do AI programming and what does he do? He creates a sex toy.

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Comments

  1. ZekeDragon's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by DarkLordoftheMonkeys
    Teach a man to do AI programming and what does he do? He creates a sex toy.
    Well duhh...
  2. ZekeDragon's Avatar
    Y'know what, I want to write a more intelligent response than that. I'm not really familiar with artificial intelligence programming, and as far as I'm concerned we haven't yet programmed something that could even be considered an artificial intelligence let alone an actual one. I think that on a fundamental level intelligence requires the ability to form new hardware pathways which computers simply lack, so I don't know if it is even yet possible.

    The popular misconception of AI is actually kind of understandable in my opinion due to our evolved response to empathize, which inevitably leads to our natural tendency to anthropomorphize. This includes an anthropomorphization of even inanimate objects, such as computer artificial intelligence. If you've ever seen a kid in a game beating up some AI character and say "I'm making him mad! *laughs*", or something akin to that, then you'll know what I mean.
  3. DarkLordoftheMonkeys's Avatar
    Well, I'm talking about the generally accepted definition of artificial intelligence, that is, something that can simulate human intelligence. But yes, we are very far from creating a true AI, one that is actually intelligent. In my opinion, something has to have a consciousness before it can truly be considered intelligent.
  4. James.H's Avatar
    I agree with your above comment DLMonkeys.

    Question: What is the closest thing we have to AI at the moment ? Androids ? Just curious..
  5. atheium's Avatar
    i personally believe there isnt a way to program real intelligence. no matter how or what is coded into emulating human behavior its always just going to be code.

    if it clucks like a chicken, looks like a chicken. lets assume its a chicken but it could be a robot