DailyDirt: Artificial Intelligence Is Here To Help Us...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Computers are getting smarter all the time. Even though science fiction sometimes tends to paint artificial intelligence in an evil light, humans are building these intelligent machines -- and presumably, we'll have some control over how dangerous they'll ultimately become (but maybe not). People are building artificial brains without really knowing how brains work, but that's how we're learning. Maybe we should be breeding hyper-intelligent parrots, instead? After you've finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: ai, artificial intelligence, bacteria, brains, cloud robotics, cognitive computing, computerphobia, cyborgs, emergent behavior, robobrain, skynet, terminators


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  1. icon
    ECA (profile), 22 Jul 2015 @ 6:00pm

    aND IN 1980

    When a computer cost 1/3 the price of a CAR..
    When electronic in your home amounted to a TUBE based TV and a Toaster...
    And 1/3 of the USA wasnt even Born..
    Computers of the time...Atari, Commodore, Intel, IBM, Compact, Kaypro, Apple 1
    Operating systems? DOS, DOS, DOS, DOS
    Loading system, TAPE DRIVES or Cartridge loading..

    Cost of a HARD DRIVE?? $$MILLIONS

    Smart phones and PADS are 10-100 times as much power, in your hand.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Jul 2015 @ 6:40pm

    I rest easier at night nowadays, knowing that the DISCERN project figured out how to give schizophrenia to a neural network several years ago. They simulated excessive dopamine levels and then had it learn by "reading" a bunch of stories. It then claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack. Success! Yay?

    (https://news.utexas.edu/2011/05/05/schizophrenia_discern)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    Kal Zekdor (profile), 22 Jul 2015 @ 7:30pm

    Re: aND IN 1980

    Smart phones and PADS are 10-100 orders of magnitude as much power, in your hand.

    FTFY

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    Mason Wheeler (profile), 23 Jul 2015 @ 5:24am

    Re:

    That's an interesting story, but it seems, at first glance at least, to be using circular logic:

    1) Program a neural network to do the computerized analog of what we think a certain brain process does under certain conditions that we think causes schizophrenia.
    2) Observe that the neural network becomes schizophrenic, exactly as predicted by the model used.
    3) Proclaim that this is evidence that the model is correct.

    Trouble is, doing a simulation this way would produce "evidence" of any model, even an incorrect one, so I don't see how we've made any real progress here.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    DerekCurrie (profile), 23 Jul 2015 @ 5:55am

    Why worry about AI evil when we have plenty of human evil?

    The FUD about AI is a ridiculous diversion and distraction from the real threat that's already here: Use of computer intelligence by humans to destroy our fellow humans as well as the rest of miracle planet Earth, our only home. IOW: Again we're looking into the face of the human self-destructive imperative.

    What's the real 'Terminator'? Us with our hands on the controls of a remote coward murder machine we call a 'drone'. Plenty of other human driven abominations of technology are on the way. That's what we must worry about and stop now. Now.

    If AI is going to threaten mankind, it could possibly be any worse than the example that AI would discover in us, Homo sapiens sapiens, as we oddly call ourselves. (Sapiens = Wise. Sapiens sapiens = Wise wise).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Rekrul, 23 Jul 2015 @ 6:08am

    Computerphobia...

    Computerphobia doesn't seem like a common term or actual fear these days, but in the 1980s, when computers were much less familiar, it wasn't crazy to see people approach PCs with anxiety.

    My grandfather was afraid of computers. When I had the C64, he liked to play golf and pinball on it, but he wouldn't touch the keyboard if his life depended on it. He also wouldn't even try playing any games on the Intellivision or Atari 5200 because the controllers had too many buttons.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2015 @ 6:42am

    Re: Computerphobia

    This has morphed. Now the fear is of computer competent persons, rather than computers. Call it Hackerphobia?

    When guys like Aaron Schwarz end up choosing death instead of a 30 year sentence for downloading scientific papers, and Ross Ulbricht gets life in prison for running a website, it is pretty clear that it is a cultural phenomenon, complete with bigotry and lynchings.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2015 @ 8:23am

    Or to enslave us.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. icon
    nasch (profile), 23 Jul 2015 @ 8:56am

    Re: Re:

    I don't know anything about the project, but what if it's like this?

    1. Build a brain analog
    2. Give it some inputs that we think might cause schizophrenia in humans
    3. See if it exhibits schizophrenic behavior

    Then the quality of the experiment would depend on how good the brain analog is, but it isn't circular reasoning. That is to say step 1 doesn't include programming in responses to the stimuli planned for step 2.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. icon
    Ken Riel (profile), 23 Jul 2015 @ 10:23am

    Ghosts in the Machine

    If we program a computer to make a choice, that is a choice that we have made.

    If we perceive a demon within something we've have made, where do we think the demon came from?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. icon
    Ken Riel (profile), 23 Jul 2015 @ 10:28am

    Re: Ghosts in the Machine

    We've have have we?

    It'll make a better tweet anyway...

    #ScratchPad

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    Ken Riel (profile), 23 Jul 2015 @ 12:03pm

    Re: Re: aND IN 1980

    The power is in a network of users that wasn't there yet in 1980.

    If we allow shiny new hardware to distract us from the big picture we're in trouble.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    nasch (profile), 23 Jul 2015 @ 12:05pm

    Re: Ghosts in the Machine

    If we program a computer to make a choice, that is a choice that we have made.

    There are learning computers that make choices on their own. The "programmer" no more makes the choice than a parent does when a child acts.

    link to this | view in thread ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.