Cutting-Edge AI Projects?

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."

It it just me?

[Anonymous Coward]

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?

Games

[garphik]

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

Wrong tree

[vandan]

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.

No.

[God of Lemmings]

Maybe you're working on a project like that and want to talk it up?

Not under this administration.

Humanity's Problem

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:Give me a break

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:Humanity's Problem

[Culture20]

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.

Re:It it just me?

[egomaniac]

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.

Re:Humanity's Problem

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:Humanity's Problem

[Anonymous Coward]

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.