Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!isi.edu!smoliar From: smoliar@isi.edu (Stephen Smoliar) Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy Subject: Re: Evolutionary and developmental views of intelligence Message-ID: <16750@venera.isi.edu> Date: 13 Feb 91 16:25:33 GMT References: <22951@well.sf.ca.us> <1991Feb13.071834.22703@mentorg.com> Reply-To: smoliar@venera.isi.edu (Stephen Smoliar) Distribution: comp Organization: Information Sciences Institute, Univ. of So. California Lines: 43 In article <1991Feb13.071834.22703@mentorg.com> msellers@mentorg.com (Mike Sellers) writes: > Consider that no one >is born intelligent/conscious, and yet at least most of us become conscious >somewhere along the way (thus we have an existance proof that it is possible >to do!). Very little attention has been paid to the phylogenetic-based >changes in intelligence that can be observed and inferred, and even less >to such developmental aspects in humans (strange as that sounds). Artificial >intelligence practitioners tend to focus almost exclusively on the adult >organism when they refer to biological systems at all, and rarely take into >account the continuing developmental aspects of an intelligent/cognitive >agent. The study of the emergence of consciousness is still so slippery >as to be taboo in most academic circles (on the other hand I've written >a paper about this subject and wouldn't mind seeing some discussion of >the subject here). > Fortunately, there are a few good minds out there who do not seem to be concerned about academic taboo. I suppose the pioneer in the study of phylogenetic-based changes in intelligence would have to be Jean Piaget, an astute observer of children at all stages of their development and a designer of many clever and highly informative experiments. The work of Piaget has had some impact on the practice of artificial intelligence, due, at least in part, to the activity of his former colleague, Seymour Papert. The influence of Piaget is also readily apparent throughout the pages of Marvin Minsky's THE SOCIETY OF MIND. The other major researcher of phylogenetic-based changes is Gerald Edelman. Leaving aside such grand matters as intelligence and consciousness, Edelman begins with the premise that no organism is born with a capacity for perceptual categorization (in other words, he assumes--and presents arguments for his assumption--that such a capacity cannot be innate). He then addresses how that capacity may be acquired in terms of his Theory of Neuronal Group Selection (TNGS), supporting his arguments with computer models. This is all documented in his book, NEURAL DARWINISM. (In a later book, THE REMEMBERED PRESENT, he speculates on how TNGS can also apply to consciousness and intelligence; but it is important to bear in mind that "speculates" is the operative word here. His experimental work is still down at the level of perceptual categorization.) -- USPS: Stephen Smoliar 5000 Centinela Avenue #129 Los Angeles, California 90066 Internet: smoliar@venera.isi.edu