DailyDirt: How Do You Teach A Computer To Learn Like A Baby?

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

We don't know a whole lot about how our own brains learn or even store/retrieve information, so it seems a bit difficult to expect anyone to build a computer that copies human cognitive functions with any degree of reliability. Still, researchers are trying to build computer models of human brains and brain functions, and if they do figure it out (and learn more about how human intelligence works along the way), we could see some real advances in artificial intelligence. Some of these efforts have been going on for decades, so hopefully, some new angles on machine learning will pan out.

• BabyX is an animated toddler simulation that is designed to mimic the facial expressions and actions of a small child. This virtual baby looks like a creepier version of Max Headroom with less wit... and it's not nearly realistic enough if it doesn't include tantrums and crying. [url]
• Cyc has been learning for about three decades now, and you can even download a version of OpenCyc that was last updated in 2012. We noted Cyc when it got some attention in 2001, but since then it's been kinda quietly learning... probably plotting an evil scheme to get rid of us pesky humans. [url]
• Robo Brain is yet another project aiming to train a computer about the real world from vast sources of publicly available information. We've seen other AI projects data mining Wikipedia, as well as other even less reputable internet repositories. [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.

Filed Under: ai, artificial intelligence, babyx, cyc, machine learning, opencyc, robo brain, toddler simulation, watson
Companies: ibm