Greg Laden is a blogger, writer and independent scholar who occassionally teaches. He has a PhD from Harvard in Archaeology and Biological Anthropology, as well as a Masters Degree in the same subjects. He is a biological anthropologist, but for many years before going to graduate school to study human evolution, he did archaeology in North America. He thinks of himself as a biologist who focuses on humans (past and present) and who uses archaeology as one of the tools of the trade. Greg blogs regularly on ScienceBlogs at http://www.scienceblogs.com/gregladen/.
Dr. Joseph J. Salvo attended Phillips Andover Academy, received his A.B. degree from Harvard University and his Master and Ph.D. degrees in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University. Dr. Salvo joined the GE Global Research Center in 1988. His early work focused on the development of genetically modified bacteria and fungus, for the production of novel high performance polymers. In the mid 1990's he turned his group's efforts towards developing large-scale internet-based sensing arrays to manage and oversee
business systems. Most recently, he and his team have developed a number of complex decision engines that deliver customer value through system transparency and knowledge-based computational algorithms. Commercial business implementations of his work are currently active in Europe, and Asia as well as North and South America.
Dr. Peter Tu received his undergraduate degree in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada, and his doctorate from Oxford University England.
In 1997, he joined the Visualization and Computer Vision Group at the GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna, NY. He has developed algorithms for the FBI Automatic Fingerprint Identification System. He is the principle investigator for the ReFace program, which has the goal of automatically computing the appearance of a person’s face from skeletal remains. Dr. Tu has also developed a number of algorithms for the precise measurement of specular and high curvature objects. His current focus is the development of intelligent video algorithms for surveillance applications.
Artificial Intelligence as a term implies that there is a "natural" intelligence we wish to replicate in the lab and then engineer in any one of several practical contexts. There is nothing in the term that implies that "intelligence" be human, but the implication is clear that such a thing as "intelligence" exists and that we have some clue as to what it is.
But it might not, and we don't.
That it might not exist, we'll get to another time. That is a rather contentious idea and I doubt we are quite ready for it yet. But that we don't know what "intelligence" is can be easily demonstrated. Just Google it.
Here is a selection of the hits I get when I Google "intelligence is"
- Intelligence Is Bliss
- Intelligence Is The Future
- Intelligence Is A Curse
- Intelligence is a critical need
- Intelligence is largely inherited
- Intelligence is negatively associated with the number of FSS
- Intelligence is possible after all
- Intelligence is Sexy
- Intelligence Is Hard to Find
OK, well, this does not really demonstrate that we are confused about what intelligence is, but rather, that the word is used in a lot of contexts. Perhaps I should try a different approach. I know ... I'll Wikipedia it.
Searching for "Intelligence is" and "wiki" gets us the Wikipedia entry on the Turing Test. "The Turing test is a proposal for a test of a machine's ability to demonstrate intelligence." and if we click on "intelligence" we get the Wikipedia entry for Intelligence. Here, we find:
Intelligence is an umbrella term used to describe a property of the mind that encompasses many related abilities, such as the capacities to reason, to plan, to solve problems, to think abstractly, to comprehend ideas, to use language, and to learn. There are several ways to define intelligence. In some cases, intelligence may include traits such as creativity, personality, character, knowledge, or wisdom. However there is no agreement on which traits define the phenomenon of intelligence agreed upon by a majority across the various concerned disciplines.
So, yeah, there is not a very straight forward definition. In fact, having studied human intelligence as an anthropologist, read extensively in semiotics and related philosophies, and so on, I feel pretty comfortable saying this: The moment someone gives you a simple definition of intelligence (which they presumably have some need of) you should check your wallet and see if it is where you think you left it.
Well, anyway, staring about now, we are making a transition here at Collective Imagination. Peter Tu, who has been blogging with us for about a month and a half, will be mostly going back to his bench at GE. I hope he feels free to continue to contribute now and then, and keeps up with the blog. Thanks, Peter, for a bunch of great posts, and keep up the good work.
Coming up to the metaphorical plate is Dr. Joseph Salvo also of GE. His bio is in the left hand column. Hey, Joe, I have two questions for you from your bio: 1) Did you ever know Scotty MacNeish at Phillips Andover? ... and ... When you were at Harvard, did you have Sex in the Afternoon? Or did you not take B-29?
Anyway, Joe will be blogging about AI for the next few weeks, and although we've spoken a bit about what he may be writing, I'm not going to attempt to provide any kind of introduction. Suffice it to say that Joe will be writing some potentially very controversial and thought provoking essays.
Parallel to Joe's work, I'll be writing a series of blog posts on the human side of AI and related topics, from an anthropological perspective, as usual. This means human intelligence; brains and neurobiology; society, culture and intelligence; evolutionary models; and stuff.
In addition, I've asked WebMage Author Kelly McCullough to contribute commentary on AI from his perspective as a fiction writer. Those of you who follow me on Facebook, or who follow Kelly (or our mutual friend Stephanie Zvan) probably already know we are doing this from Kelly's note.
So please grab our RSS feed, bookmark our site, visit repeatedly, and join in on the commentary!
Brain & Behavior
Comments
the more we create machines that can do things that were once strictly the domain of humans, the more we'll squirm about on our definition of what "intelligence" is. it's a moving target!
Posted by: lance robotson | November 20, 2009 2:00 PM | Reply
Intelligence is like pornography. I know it when I see it. ;)
Posted by: NewEnglandBob | November 20, 2009 2:04 PM | Reply
Google says intelligence is the torch of wisdom.
And intelligence is the ability to avoid doing work yet getting the work done.
Google also tells me "blogs are like sharks".
Google is wise.
Posted by: becca | November 20, 2009 2:37 PM | Reply
Does the torch of wisdom light wisdom on fire and burn it down, or does it light wisdom afire to englow humanity?
Posted by: Greg Laden | November 20, 2009 2:40 PM | Reply
The torch of wisdom is like an afterburner. It allows wisdom to go on a drunken joy ride.
Posted by: NewEnglandBob | November 20, 2009 3:59 PM | Reply
As someone who is planning to study the genetic aspects of intelligence in graduate school, I see intelligence as a good umbrella term for proficiency in key faculties:
1) Ability to learn quickly
2) Ability to comprehend and understand abstract concepts, given enough information
3) Ability to integrate concepts into a broader framework
4) Ability to work with complex systems of information
These, of course, tap into several different abilities. The conclusions being formed now at labs such as those of Robert Plomin and Nick Martin are the idea that intelligence is polygenetic, affects many different parts of the brain, and is determined by mutations at quantitative trait loci - in other words, the normal distribution of intelligence is because of the manipulation of a large series of genes.
The fact that 'intelligence' is a rather complex concept and is also reliant on many things not directly connected to intelligence makes me think that computers can't quite display human intelligence, only an approximation of it.
Posted by: Katharine | November 20, 2009 5:01 PM | Reply
Could artificial intelligence be evolved into existence? That's how human intelligence came about and that method seems to have worked ok. Surely evolution at computer speeds would be slightly quicker.
Posted by: Jacob | November 20, 2009 9:01 PM | Reply
This post made pull out my copy of "Mind, Machines and Human Consciousness" by Robert L. Nadeau. I've read the damned thing four or five times and each time come away thinking differently about the notions of 'mind,' intelligence' and 'consciousness.' They all seem to overlap so cleverly.
Anyhow, because I have marked up the pages shamelessly and written freely in the margins, I thought something might jump out at me with relation to the subject at hand.
Here's what I got, a quote from Wallace Stevens that opens chapter two of the book. It's from Stevens' "Connoisseur of Chaos."
Perhaps intelligence is like porn, indescribable yet recognizable. Like talent or charm or maybe like insight intelligence may be something that is not continuously manifest but does show up frequently enough to gain notoriety.
Sign me, Ignorant but Curious.
By the way, I found Nadeau's book to be thought provoking even if not authoritatively persuasive. The idea of packing a small container with trillions of artificial neurons and then suddenly hearing it address you by name and ask for a small favor is endlessly fascinating.
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | November 20, 2009 9:29 PM | Reply
Katherine: "Ability to learn quickly" is a property of many organisms without neurons.
"intelligence is polygenetic, affects many different parts of the brain, " ... so intelligence is a thing that exists in the genes and then washes across the neurons and changes them?
Posted by: Irene | November 21, 2009 8:29 AM | Reply
Why do we need Artificial Intelligence? There's more than enough Genuine Stupidity around these days.
Posted by: GoatRider | November 23, 2009 1:57 PM | Reply
It might be very much harder to simulate artificial stupidity.
Posted by: Irene | November 23, 2009 4:06 PM | Reply
Intelligence is the ability to solve problems. All the other descriptions of intelligence may be encompassed within this definition, depending upon the nature of the problems solved. By focusing on this operant definition of intelligence, we can sidestep evaluating more subjective aspects and can offer very objective criteria for determining whether something is or is not intelligent.
Interestingly, this operant definition makes it clear that computers can contribute to the intelligence of a system, since a human equipped with a computer can solve many problems that the human without a computer cannot.
Posted by: Greg | November 25, 2009 11:44 PM | Reply
@Greg (No. 12)
Your definition is neither necessary nor sufficient. Some uses of intelligence are not applications to problem solving. Some things can solve problems, but are not intelligent.
Posted by: MPL | December 1, 2009 2:20 AM | Reply