J. Andrew Rogers wrote:
On Apr 21, 2008, at 6:53 PM, Richard Loosemore wrote:
I have been trying to understand the relationship between theoretical
models of thought (both natural and artificial) since at least 1980,
and one thing I have noticed is that people devise theoretical
structures that are based on the assumption that intelligence is not
complex .... but then they use these structures in such a way that the
resulting system is almost always complex.
This is easily explained by the obvious fact that the definition of
"complex" varies considerably across relevant populations, exacerbated
in the case of AGI -- where it is arguably a germane element -- because
many (most?) researchers are using "complex" in a colloquial (read:
meaningless) sense rather than one of its more rigorously defined
senses, of which there are a few interesting ones.
Most arguments and disagreements over "complexity" are fundamentally
about the strict definition of the term, or the complete absence
thereof. The arguments tend to evaporate if everyone is forced to
unambiguously define such terms, but where is the fun in that.
It is correct to say that there is disagreement about what "complexity"
means, but that is why I went to so much trouble to give a precise
definition of it, and the use that precise definition consistently.
Last thing I want to do is to engage in fruitless debates with other
complex systems people about what exactly it means.
But then, going back to your first comment above, no, you cannot use
other people's confusion about the meaning of the term "complexity" to
explain why models of thinking start off being designed as if they were
not complex, but then get used in ways that makes the overall system
complex. That observation is pretty much independent of the definition
you choose, and any way it happens within my definition, so it still
needs to be explained.
The explanation, of course, is that intelligent systems really are
(partially) complex, but everyone is trying to kid themselves that they
are not, to make their research easier.
Richard Loosemore
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agi
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