I'm a little confused. If AI is the art of replicating the mechanisms of human intelligence with machines, doesn't that assume that brain function is digital? I dont think that's been demonstrated as yet. The sources I looked up a few months ago all pointed to the information content of synaptic pulses (other than their chemical content) being in the spacing of pulses, not their shape, size, number or pattern. With all the pulses virtually the same and the information content being contained in the length of the gaps between them, thought processes would look more like music than strings of yes/no calculations wouldn't they?
If we really don't know how thought works, perhaps it be better to say that AI is the use of machines in an attempt to imitate thought? Phil Henshaw ¸¸¸¸.·´ ¯ `·.¸¸¸¸ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 680 Ft. Washington Ave NY NY 10040 tel: 212-795-4844 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] explorations: www.synapse9.com > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Robert Cordingley > Sent: Friday, December 22, 2006 9:30 PM > To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group > Subject: [FRIAM] The what is AI question > > > Steve, Josh and I revisited this old(?) chestnut at today's FRIAM > meeting, so I had to look it up... > > The American Association for Artificial Intelligence defines > AI as "the > scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and > intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines." John > McCarthy > authored an easy to read discussion on the subject at: > http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/whatisai/node1.html Connections to human intelligence seem very strong. Robert C. www.cirrillian.com ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
