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Cutting-Edge AI Projects?

Posted by kdawson on from the no-hacking-furby-does-not-count dept.

Xeth writes "I'm a consultant with DARPA, and I'm working on an initiative to push the boundaries of neuromorphic computing (i.e. artificial intelligence). The project is designed to advance ideas all fronts, including measuring and understanding biological brains, creating AI systems, and investigating the fundamental nature of intelligence. I'm conducting a wide search of these fields, but I wanted to know if any in this community know of neat projects along those lines that I might overlook. Maybe you're working on a project like that and want to talk it up? No promises (seriously), but interesting work will be brought to the attention of the project manager I'm working with. If you want to start up a dialog, send me an email, and we'll see where it goes. I'll also be reading the comments for the story."

10 of 346 comments (clear)

  1. It it just me? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The project is designed to advance ideas all fronts, including measuring and understanding biological brains, creating AI systems, and investigating the fundamental nature of intelligence.

    Why is it that the first application that I can think of for such project developed by DARPA is that to use it against the citizens?
    1. Re:It it just me? by egomaniac · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Where did you get the idea that humans will veto unjust orders? You might want to read up about the Milgram experiment, or maybe just consider how the Holocaust happened.

      I assure you, the Nazis didn't manage to put together an army of thoroughly evil people -- the vast majority of the Nazis were perfectly ordinary human beings receiving evil orders. We like to think we're different, but that's an incredibly dangerous opinion. It's much better to accept the fact that we are human, and that humans are overly obedient, and not trust ourselves or anyone else to be smart enough to overrule an unjust order.

      --
      ZFS: because love is never having to say fsck
  2. Games by garphik · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Games? It is the best scratch pad for AI experiments.

  3. Wrong tree by vandan · · Score: 1, Insightful

    As I read the blurb, I immediately thought of a list of readings by extremely well-respected biologists on the nature of consciousness that would serve as an excellent starting point.

    But should I help out DARPA? I don't think so. Someone else can help you kill people, poison the environment, and support the growing neo-con empire.

  4. No. by God+of+Lemmings · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Maybe you're working on a project like that and want to talk it up? Not under this administration.
    --
    Non sequitur: Your facts are uncoordinated.
  5. Humanity's Problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If your country does not use it for evil (extremely doubtful), somebody else's country will. Better yours than theirs.

    Yes, that is the precise kind of thinking that demonstrates why mankind deserves to be wiped off the planet. Man, what a wonderful place the universe would be without this single species.

    1. Re:Humanity's Problem by Culture20 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Lions kill cubs sired by other lions. Penguins and monkeys steal babies from other parents when their babies die prematurely. Ants wage war. Almost all female mantises engage in cannibalism. We have no monopoly on evil. If you believe in a struggle between good and evil, humans are in a unique position clean up things; we understand we're evil and can admit it.

    2. Re:Humanity's Problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Lions killing lions is not evil. Intent (to kill for the sake of killing, for example) figures into the equation a great deal. Lions do not kill other lions' cubs out of vengeance or spite. To suggest that this is the case anthropomorphizes these animals. They do not have the capacity for the rational reflection required for an act to be actually evil.

    3. Re:Humanity's Problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Lions kill cubs sired by other lions. Penguins and monkeys steal babies from other parents when their babies die prematurely. Ants wage war. Almost all female mantises engage in cannibalism. We have no monopoly on evil. If you believe in a struggle between good and evil, humans are in a unique position clean up things; we understand we're evil and can admit it. Maybe if these acts were performed by humans on other humans they could be considered 'evil', but from the creatures point of view it's all down to propagation of their DNA, not because they've chosen to do it out of malice.
  6. Re:Give me a break by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    If your country does not use it for evil (extremely doubtful), somebody else's country will. Better yours than theirs.

    Yes. This is exactly how you can hold "somebody else" responsible for your murdering.

    Keep it going.