Emotional Machines
By ai-depot | May 18, 2003
Background: Is Man a Machine?
Is Man a Machine? A Robot? Doctors see man as a neurological and biological system. Mathematicians consider man a collection of logic and computational devices. Intelligent Computer Experts call them interactive robots. Artists see human as a God, while some just as Animal. Computers are Computing Machines. Computation work is done by making relations. Computers Compute, The best possible relation to do a particular task or process. Is thinking just making relations? Is thinking an art or science?
Grandfather of computers, the calculators were basically invented to assist calculations. Nowadays, Super computers with AI (artificial intelligence) algorithms, try to imitate the logical working of human brains. Thinking refers to a huge abstraction, an infinite circle whose circumference englufs everything and who’s center is in every human brain. Most of today’s application is just superficial application of logic developed by the human’s way of doing things. Such manifestation of logic implementation may not be regarded as thinking… Because, these hardware components don’t actually have any idea of what is happening. They are just action-reaction machines; they are dependent on events to happen.
Taking information, decisions and ability to learn can be regarded as thinking. For all such activities, we need to logical operations like compare, duplicate, store, calculate, remember and order. Yes, computers can do all this! We see numerous demonstration of this ability in software applications and internet portals. Comparison is also the key which opens the door of emotions in our mind. Comparison with others, our past which makes us happy, sad or even jealous.
Can machines be Creative?
Thinking leads to creativity, something which can generate myriads of emotions in mind and soul.
Can these computers generate that creativity in themselves? They might’ve beaten Gary Kasparvich once, but will they be ever able to match the genius of Einstein? Can they create such wondrous theories? Can they create paintings like Picasso? Can they deliver some beautiful thinking philosophies or Karl Marx, Mahatma Gandhi? Creativity requires some magical gift, which can not be explained by logical disintegration.
Some intelligent technocrats may argue that beauty or creativity is in the eyes of beholder. A new born baby is independent of emotions likes and dislikes. A man in solitary confinement, if given some Chinese letter alphabets, would not be read, speak or write Chinese. Emotions are not at the core, they are governed by instincts. Which are induced in us by family, society, culture and life style around us. What may be beautiful to me may not be beautiful to you. As we all are from different works, family, cultures, so that governs my aesthetic sense. "Jingle bell" would make a small child happy in US of A, but not in Afghanistan. Society programs our thinking and feeling.
Then why the masterpieces of creativity, Beauty, say Taj Mahal or even Cindy Crawford is beautiful for every person breathing on this planet. Art, lives through the centuries, they never die. Why? Is it because we have been told that Taj Mahal is beautiful? Isnt it as beautiful to you as it is to me? Are those men who go big drooling "awww "over Cindy Crawford, have been programmed to do so? It comes natural, just sources of thought are not just instincts but some what deeper in how the brain works. Is it possible for any machine to replace the joy of watching the master batsman Sachin Tendulkar hitting six runs on Shane Warne’s googly, or Michael Jordon slam dunking or Tiger woods or the Mozart or Chess Champ Gary Kasparov?
Everyone in this world is not equal because of come combination of skills. These skills are developed by the finer aspects of family and social environment. These different combinations are independent sources of creativity and thinking. If we provide equal, will it breed same level of intelligence? Are two wins in a family eating same food, getting the same social environment equally intelligent? Do they think a like? It is not unpopular to see people coming from different parts of the world sharing same views, thoughts and behave in common patterns. We try to decompose the level of abstractions, by better and better ways of our technical expertise and information gathered over the years. Just like a small child, we human beings are learning new ways to arrange and re arrange natural wonders and are hoping that this would accidentally some day help us decipher the secret of nature.
How Intelligent is Man?
Our ancestors named the genius who knew all these abstractions as God. Can we find another name to it? How many years will it take for the mankind to get closer to that name? With in a century, Genetic engineering will enable us to manufacture ourselves just like we have car factories. But will these two individuals have same level of intellect and vision? Who hasn’t heard of Great Physicist Stephen Hawkins, How is biological state of man related to intelligence?
In science, math’s the vast majority of theories works on the hypothesis. For what is force? - That moves the mass and for what is mass? that is moved by force. It is a sea saw. What is 2/2=1,1/1=1;0/0=?;infinity/infinity=? Science and Math’s are just a belief like religion; no doubt it has attained great heights. We do owe a great respect for these postulates because they have greatly assisted mankind reach this level of communications and luxury. But in a wider perspective this possibility appears to be a headache without a head.
Some sequential tech code of database connection or algorithmic network theorems, saying do this, do that and wait until that happens. All these pseudo codes of modern day programming languages do what is needed. But these intelligent programmers determine, if or whether it is needed? Even a simplest imitation of a human reaction, would take a million, billion and trillion of years. Without any "illegal operations, close or shutdown windows.
What is thinking? How does brain works? How are the thoughts processed into actions? If scientists don’t even know how exactly the brain works? How can the replicate the behavior or working of the brain? If a machine can’t really think a situation, rather just act in a sequence of actions programmed; so, since we are progressing only from a single perspective. And this is not thinking. We can never determine if we are on right track if we do not analyze from different perspectives.
May be one can tell what he/she can or can not do, But can one predict what he/she can not do? Or what he/she is going to do tomorrow morning? Is it comprehensible to calculate this permutation and combinations of infinite possibilities? Every word meaning is depends upon the readers or listener’s mind. So, how can these so called scientific things claim to create replica of William Wordsworth? Are these just castles in air? or wishful thinking? Or Just Bad Psychology - The human wish of being the originator, the creator.
Reality and Emotions
A teacher asked, "How long is one minute?". Student replied, "It depends on which side of the toilet you are!". Now isn’t this real? Will it be possible to totally remove the human intelligence factor in the future? Can a computer understand anything real, what a one rupee or one dollar is, it only knows the electronic circuits. But is also a fact that people fear technology. The fear of unknown. Just like our grandmothers get afraid when it comes to switching channels or playing games on computer.
Humans have a very wide range of emotions. Can we define each emotion? Is it possible to a non human to differentiate between disappointed and sadness? Is it possible to create a help book by defining all emotions? Can emotions be defined? Can it be related by readers? How can we explain an emotional condition or state? Are emotions generic or individualistic? A single act can generate different emotions in different individuals. How far is the dependency of emotions to individual only to his cultural back ground? What factors like current environment or state of activity around? Emotions like confused, happiness, sadness, anger can be easily related to but what about others? the mixed emotions? Happiness during fight is not possible, However a ironical, humorous sarcastic remark is possible? Sometimes, people remark which has a reference to an event or happening in the past. How will a machine decipher that?
How will the people react to such machines? When human beings hunt for animals, kills them, eat them… How will humans behave if machines become emotionally sensitive? How far will this injected intelligence take machines? will they make our car a horse? What is the limit?
Wonder if this subject is like which came first, egg or the hen? Anyways, There is nothing wrong with in this debate yet. The nature of being is tobelieve what we expect to believe, and to perceive what we believe is true. But perception is based on the senses so we will not succeed in creating "human-like" machines until we can expect it as a truth. Likewise, our approach is correct until we perceive it as false.
In a crowded movie theatre, while watching a movie, one gets wrapped up in the story as if it were really happening, and this is referred to as a suspension of disbelief. The longer the suspension, the more real it is. When the general public ceases to disbelieve the robot, then we have begun to succeed. The reorientation of growth and development of living and non-living be in one direction. In future, Will robots become a part of us, rather than one of them.
Till then, The Argument Will Continue…
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