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From: murrayw@utai.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Goal of AI: where are we going? (the right way?)
Message-ID: <4136@utai.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 29-Oct-87 09:22:46 EST
Article-I.D.: utai.4136
Posted: Thu Oct 29 09:22:46 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Oct-87 23:50:49 EST
References: <2072@cci632.UUCP>
Reply-To: murrayw@ai.UUCP (Murray Watt)
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 43
Summary: 

In article <2072@cci632.UUCP> mdl@cci632.UUCP (Michael Liss) writes:
.
.
>I read an interesting article recently which had the title:
>"If AI = The Human Brain, Cars Should Have Legs"
>
>The author's premise was that most of our other machines that mimic human 
>abilites do not do so through strict copying of our physical processes.
>
>What we have done, in the case of the automobile, is to make use of wheels and
>axles and the internal combustion engine to produce a transportation device
>which owes nothing tothe study of human legs.
>
>In the case of AI, he state that artificial intelligence should not be
>assumed to be the equivalent of human intelligence and thus, the disection of
>the human mind's functionality will not necessarily yield a solution to AI.
>
"THE USE AND MISUSE OF ANALOGIES"

Transporation (or movement) is not a property unique to human beings.
If one were to refine the goal better, the analogy flips sides.   
If the goal is to design a device that can climb rocky hills it may 
have something like legs. If the goal is to design a device that can 
fly it may have something like wings. (Okay so there not the same type of
wings, but what about streamlining?)

AS I UNDERSTAND IT, one goal of AI is to design systems that perform well
in areas that the human brain performs well. Current computer systems can do 
things (like add numbers) better than we can. I would not suggest creating
an A.I. system for generating telephone bills! However, don't tell me 
that understanding the human brain doesn't tell me anything about natural
language!

The more analogies I see the less I like them. However, they seem handy to
convince the masses of completely false doctrines.

e.g. "Jesus accepted food and shelter from his friends, so sign over
      your paycheck to me." (I am waiting Michael) 8-)
      
                                   Murray Watt (murrayw@utai.toronto.edu)

The views of my colleagues do not necessarily reflect my opinions.