Artificial Intelligence Do we stand in the way? Brandon Bushong April 21, 2006

Outline Goal for A.I. Defining Intelligence The Turing Test Moral Considerations Potential for A.I.

If you’re going to dream, dream big Goal of A.I. Basic, yet optimistic criteria for an android Union of linguistics and everyday knowledge Ability to interpret demeanor and speech Nonverbal communication

Neuroscience Says to Keep Dreaming Complexity of the brain Neural networks 100 billion neurons vs. 30 neurons  ? vs. 30+ years and 15 research teams

Defining Intelligence Requirements for thinking A human body? What is the unquestionable definition of intelligence? Objections (Psychological & Philosophical)? Operational definition The Turing test—an imitation game

The Turing Test Test fundamentals Three participants Segregation Foundation for artificial sentience Key assumption Humans think

Moral Considerations Autonomy requires ethical and moral action Due to interaction with humans What is an unyielding definition of morality? Objections (Psychological & Philosophical)? Operational definition The Moral Turing test Restricts conversation to morality

The Requirements for an Autonomous Moral Agent Conversing is not enough Understanding circumstances is essential Knowledge of the inner status of ethical beings, communal procedure of creating accountability attributions, and customary morality Distinguishing between data and information

Data vs. Information Computers process data Surface-level form of information Understanding a situation Requires information processing Relating to the data being processed  Example: Impending implosion of the Earth  How do you know = 2?  How do you know when you are in love?

Processing Information To be able to process information, a computer would need to understand the information’s context Context affects interpretation Farmer vs. Sandcastle builder Computers are at a disadvantage Finite amount of storage Necessitates more than a pre-set procedure  Agree or disagree?  Requires adaptation  Developed by a physical presence in the world Artificial beings are incapable of passing the Moral Turing test

Why an Artificial Being Cannot Pass the Turing Test The test does not actually measure intelligence Examines human intelligence, as shaped by the environment The use of subcognitive questions Probes a machine for the accumulation of human experiences Use of the senses and processing the data obtained with one’s senses  Ex: Smells, tastes, etc.  Ability to explain a decision based on the use of the senses

Why an Artificial Being Cannot Pass the Turing Test To pass the Turing test, an artificial being must live as a human To be intelligent, according to the Turing test, a machine must be human

In Summary When humans act as the definition of intelligence, there is no room for other sentient beings.

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