Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!clyde.concordia.ca!nstn.ns.ca!news.cs.indiana.edu!att!emory!samsung!usc!wuarchive!psuvax1!ukma!dftsrv!mimsy!midway!msuinfo!frith!dailey From: dailey@frith.uucp (Chris Dailey) Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy Subject: Re: AI - the real problem Message-ID: <1991Feb14.195534.25972@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> Date: 14 Feb 91 19:55:34 GMT References: <22951@well.sf.ca.us> <3035@yarra-glen.aaii.oz.au> <1991Feb8.231547.28280@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> Sender: news@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu Distribution: comp Organization: Michigan State University Lines: 49 In article mikeb@wdl35.wdl.loral.com (Michael H Bender) writes: >Chris Dailey writes: [... My comments deleted ...] >The basic problem with what you propose is that as you go "up" the >evolutionary ladder you discover that these traits slowly change. (For >instance, does an amoeba have a need to survive when it spits in half?) [I assume you meant "splits".] But survival is just one possible 'necessary trait'. Ability to reproduce, adapt, and interact with the environment might be others, and there'd be undoubtedly many more. Splitting in half is not the sort of trait I was thinking about (but can be considered a REALIZATION of one such trait). [On an aside, maybe that's why they call cellular automata 'Life' -- because the images on the screen appear to exhibit some of these traits/characteristics ...?] >Clearly there are biological factors that affect our behavior, but they >can be strongly effected by environmental and sociological factors. >Often, we are responding to many different, contradictory, biological >drives at the same time. ... as well as intellectual factors. Different traits are affected by each type of factor. Different combinations of factors and traits can result in very different responses (as with a light flashing at a certain frequency to an average person and to an epileptic). >So what you are proposing sounds very >difficult to me. Even so, there are general categories of traits across all lifeforms (er, maybe I should say lifeforms that shows signs of intelligence) that I think would be desirable in such a model. (Besides, nobody ever said it would be easy! :) >By the way, do you really believe that there only is 1 (!) challenge? No, by 'where the challenge should lie' I guess I meant 'where I'd like to see the next step be taken'. Sorry for the bad wording and personal opinion. >Mike Bender -- Chris Dailey dailey@(frith.egr|cps).msu.edu __ __ ___ | "A line in the sand." -- The Detroit News __/ \/ \/ __:>- | \__/\__/\__/ | "Allein in der sand." -- me