Minds, machines, and artificial intelligence
What you’ll read a lot in the media is that advances in artificial intelligence have reached a point where it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between humans and machines.
But to say it more precisely, the superficial similarities between human and artificial intelligence are making it difficult to see the underlying differences that remain persistent. I’ve been thinking about this issue a lot recently as I’ve been following the controversy surrounding Google LaMDA and AI sentience, the growing capacity of deep learning systems in outmatching humans in complicated games, and the use of generative models in creating stunning artwork.
Obviously, current AI systems are nothing like the human mind. Despite their spectacular feats, their flaws become easy to spot when they're pitted against the versatility and flexibility of human intelligence.
But neither can we dismiss them as being stupid. So how do we examine and define the growing “cognitive” (if that’s the proper term) abilities that we see in our machines today?
The Book of Minds, a book by Philip Ball, helped me better adjust my perception of the fast-evolving world of artificial intelligence. And for me, the key was first to change my perception of “minds.” The book, which talks about all kinds of minds, from humans to animals to machines and extraterrestrials, gives you a framework for looking past your instinctive tendency to view things through the lens of your own mind and experience.
Read the full review on TechTalks.
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