Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!nmtsun!caasnsr
From: caasnsr@nmtsun.nmt.edu (Clifford Adams)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Defining Machine Intelligence.
Summary: Intelligence and Consciousness.
Keywords: I am.  I think.  Therefore I think I am.
Message-ID: <1648@nmtsun.nmt.edu>
Date: 13 Dec 88 04:27:23 GMT
References: <484@soleil.UUCP> <4216@homxc.UUCP> <401@uwslh.UUCP> <1111@dukeac.UUCP> <404@uwslh.UUCP> <713@quintus.UUCP> <405@uwslh.UUCP> <622@htsa.uucp> <42361@linus.UUCP> <408@uwslh.UUCP> <42835@linus.UUCP>
Reply-To: caasnsr@nmtsun.nmt.edu (Clifford Adams)
Organization: New Mexico Tech, Socorro NM
Lines: 39

In article <42835@linus.UUCP> bwk@mbunix (Barry Kort) writes:
>I would be convinced if, upon acquiring language skills, the intelligent
>machine unexpectedly uttered the assertion, "I am."

	Would you be convinced if a machine wrote the above after
reading comp.ai?  I have never heard a person simply say "I am."
without any challenge or suggestion to do so.  Would it be fair to let
the machine read comp.ai?  Or "attend" a philosophy lecture?  Perhaps
the machine does not believe that the statement is adequate, or has a
different philosophy of existence.

	On another track...

	I define intelligence as "the ability to solve problems."
Finding that a solution is impossible/impractical also counts.  Now
"ability" and "problems" need to be defined.  This simple definition
describes fairly well what many people call intelligence.
Intelligence is always (in my experience) "measured" by
problem-solving abilities.  The problems vary, but solutions are
usually required.  Solutions to trivial problems use trivial
intelligence.  More complex problems require "more" intelligence.
Adding two numbers needs trivial intelligence.  "Intelligent"
activities, or ones which are needed to pass the Turing test, are more
difficult.

	I define consciousness as "the ability to create problems."
The consciousness uses intelligence like a person uses a computer.
Problems are fed into the intelligence for a solution.  The answers
can then be used to find more problems to solve.

	[Without consciousness we would be like mobile plants.  You
	 live, you die.  No problem.  :-)]

>--Barry Kort
-- 
 Clifford A. Adams    ---    "I understand only inasmuch as I become."
 ForthLisp Project Programmer        (Goal: LISP interpreter in Forth)
 caasnsr@nmt.edu            ...cmcl2!lanl!unm-la!unmvax!nmtsun!caasnsr
 (505) 835-6104 | US Mail: Box 2439 Campus Station / Socorro, NM 87801