There seems to be an assumption in this thread that NLP analysis of text is restricted to simple statistical extraction of word-sequences...
This is not the case... If there were to be a hope for AGI based on text analysis, it would have to be based on systems that parse linguistic expressions into logical relationships, and combine these logical relationships via reasoning. Assessing metaphoric versus literal mentions would be part of that reasoning. Critiquing NLP-based AGI based on Google is a lot like critiquing robotics- based AGI based on the Roomba. Google is a good product implemented very scalably, but in its linguistic sophistication, it is nowhere near the best research systems out there. Let alone what would be possible with further research. I stress that this is not my favored approach to AGI, but I think these discussions based on Google are unfairly dismissing NLP-based AGI by using Google as a "straw man." I note also that a web-surfing AGI could resolve the color of the moon quite easily by analyzing online pictures -- though this isn't pure text mining, it's in the same spirit... ben On Feb 20, 2008 2:30 PM, J Storrs Hall, PhD <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > So, looking at the moon, what color would you say it was? > > Here's what text mining might give you (Google hits): > > "blue moon" 11,500,000 > "red moon" 1,670,000 > "silver moon" 1,320,000 > "yellow moon" 712,000 > "white moon" 254,000 > "golden moon" 163,000 > "orange moon" 122,000 > "green moon" 105,000 > "gray moon" 9,460 > > To me, the moon varies from a deep orange to brilliant white depending on > atmospheric conditions and time of night... none of which would help me > understand the text references. > > > > On Wednesday 20 February 2008 02:02:52 pm, Ben Goertzel wrote: > > On Feb 20, 2008 1:34 PM, J Storrs Hall, PhD <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Looking at the moon won't help -- > > > > of course it helps, it tells you that something odd is with the expression, > > as opposed to say "yellow sun" ... > > > > > ------------------------------------------- > agi > Archives: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now > RSS Feed: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/ > Modify Your Subscription: http://www.listbox.com/member/?&; > Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com > -- Ben Goertzel, PhD CEO, Novamente LLC and Biomind LLC Director of Research, SIAI [EMAIL PROTECTED] "If men cease to believe that they will one day become gods then they will surely become worms." -- Henry Miller ------------------------------------------- agi Archives: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/ Modify Your Subscription: http://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=8660244&id_secret=95818715-a78a9b Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
