Computer, I have a question. - by Medlar
Koki on 15/3/2009 at 17:33
old
TBE on 15/3/2009 at 17:48
Computers only tell us what we program them to tell us. They'll only be as intelligent as the data we feed them and interaction processes we define them to have. I don't think we'll ever see a Star Trek TNG sorta computer in our lifetimes that can interpret difficult questions and provide an answer that wasn't already pre-programmed.
Sulphur on 15/3/2009 at 17:50
That's pretty dang interessin'. He's essentially creating a sort of Multivac, the computer from those Isaac Asimov stories of yore... with a web interface. In the future, it could be coupled with a learning AI and... we'd be on the way towards a technological singularity.
I think I just sprung a geek hard-on in my pants.
The Alchemist on 15/3/2009 at 17:59
Quote Posted by Taffer_Boy_Elvis
Computers only tell us what we program them to tell us. They'll only be as intelligent as the data we feed them and interaction processes we define them to have. I don't think we'll ever see a Star Trek TNG sorta computer in our lifetimes that can interpret difficult questions and provide an answer that wasn't already pre-programmed.
This isn't particularly true, a program doesn't necessarily answer as it was "programmed to do so." A computer program
computes an answer. The larger source of knowledge said program has access to, the more keen the answer. Just because the processes of answering a question are like cogs in a machine, that does not mean the answer itself is predictable. We as human beings have inherit cognitive abilities, and we come up with the plentiful realities we do because of our vast input and output systems. We have several senses that collect data at all times, and a memory system unparalleled by computers just yet. Through this, and our tenancy to interpret things (and often mess things up in the process), combined with emotions and other things unique to living beings, is how we come up with creativity. Where the groundwork of our cognition is given life in a computer program, it would need an ever evolving, ever expanding source of data to come up with up to date, reasonable answers to questions. A question I ask today may not have the same answer several years from now. It may have changed or become more complex or even simplified. Said computer would have to have access to metadata that evolves. This is an advantage of computing, metadata can be linked to all processors via the internet, etc, thus giving thinking computers the advantage of linked consciousness, as such. There is no doubt in my mind that we will eventually build something able to process a proposed question (input) with relevant and uptodate data it seeks in the data pool (input), and then output an answer. What we can't emulate is emotion or perspective. I'm rambling.
EvaUnit02 on 15/3/2009 at 18:12
Why do you hate paragraphing? It being an ungodly hour is not a valid excuse.
The Alchemist on 15/3/2009 at 18:17
The RSS bot speaks? o_O My theory comes true!
june gloom on 15/3/2009 at 18:33
oooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWNED
Koki on 15/3/2009 at 18:52
The emote is completely out of place there. This is just a regular burn.
