Good Old Fashioned Artificial Neural Networks
Specification of the nervous net provides the law of necessary connection whereby one can compute from the description of any state that of the succeeding state […]
With determination of the net, the unknowable object of knowledge, the “thing in itself” ceases to be unknowable.
To psychology, however defined, specification of the net would contribute all that could be achieved in that field
McCulloch & Pitts, 1943
Julia and Sam are talking about the following article: McCulloch-Pitts Neurons
In this post the dialogue is realised by an interaction of virtual characters, for more information please check the page “Virtual characters“
Julia
Hi Sam, I wondered if I could ask you some questions about the history of AI?
Sam
Hi Julia, sure! Is this for an assignment?
Julia
No, for an article I am co-writing with John
Sam
Oh, interesting! Ask away!
Julia
We were wondering about some of the things you mentioned in your interview with Manuel
Sam
Yeah, that did remain somewhat superficial
Julia
We’re doing a more in-depth article now, so you have room to explain
Sam
That’s great! So what exactly did you want to know more about?
Julia
We were talking about Dreyfus’ critique of AI and you mentioned embedding robots in the world to make them learn
Sam
Right! I think I mentioned that at the end, when talking about AGI: artificial general intelligence
Julia
That would be human-level intelligence, right?
Sam
Indeed. Pre-programming all that didn’t work out, not even when trying algorithms inspired by human problem solving
Julia
Yes, I read about Newell and Simon, this was Dreyfus’ main target, no?
Sam
Correct, but there are other approaches as well, such as making a computer learn, instead of programming it
Julia
OK, so machine learning, using artificial neural networks?
Sam
Those networks are only very roughly similar to the structure of a human brain and not really meant as a model of how humans do it
Julia
But they would be a serious alternative for the older approach?
Sam
In a way, but we are still very far from AGI, so far we don’t even know how far …
Julia
When did this new approach really get off the ground? I’ve found texts referencing artificial neural networks back in the 19th century …
Sam
What!? That can’t possibly be right!
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