Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!umich!sharkey!tygra!dave From: dave@tygra.UUCP (David Conrad) Newsgroups: comp.ai Subject: Re: What AI is exactly. Summary: Rephrase the question Message-ID: <387@tygra.UUCP> Date: 8 Sep 90 10:27:55 GMT References: <11770@accuvax.nwu.edu> Organization: CAT-TALK Conferencing Network, Detroit, MI Lines: 31 In article <11770@accuvax.nwu.edu>, lynch@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu (Richard Lynch) writes: } Q: Are ethics and/or morals a requirement of intelligence? Well, IMHO ethics and morals (surely as difficult to define as "learning" and "intelligence") are probably emergent qualities of intelligence as opposed to prerequisites. And I defy anyone to deny that the kitten who has figured out how to get my attention by attacking my legs isn't 'learning'. It has also been working on the "cat flap" problem and improving greatly its strategems for play-fighting with the resident adult cat. (This isn't a response to Richard Lynch, but to someone else on the net who denied that cats actually learn, as such.) Cats acquire data, remember past situations, and heuristically improve on their responses to similar situations. Or appear to. Everything they do certainly isn't hardcoded in their DNA. They respond adaptively, or at least differently, to repeated 'inputs' (or previously encountered situations). IMHO. -- David R. Conrad dave@tygra.ddmi.com Disclaimer: This article has no disclaimer. Errata: a) The disclaimer is incorrect and should be deleted. b) For "Errata" read "Erratum". The local system just *loves* to add this: -- = CAT-TALK Conferencing Network, Prototype Computer Conferencing System = - 1-800-825-3069, 300/1200/2400/9600 baud, 8/N/1. New users use 'new' - = as a login id. <>> = E-MAIL Address: dave@ThunderCat.COM