Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!whuts!homxb!homxc!marty
From: marty@homxc.UUCP (M.B.BRILLIANT)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Artificial Intelligence and Intelligence
Message-ID: <4639@homxc.UUCP>
Date: 16 Dec 88 19:53:42 GMT
References: <4040a289.9d8d@hi-csc.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 47

In article <4040a289.9d8d@hi-csc.UUCP>, harper@hi-csc.UUCP (Paul L.
Harper) drew a lot of FLAK for writing:

> I am continually amazed at the faith of AI "researchers"
> (programmers?). I have seen nothing whatsoever from the AI
> community that indicates there is any hope of producing
> intelligence by running instructions on computers. 
> 
> It is an incredible leap of faith, completely unfounded 
> by science, to assume that computers can obtain the human
> quality we call intelligence. Where is the scientific justification
> for the assumption? 

The probable reason why he drew so much FLAK is that there is some
truth in what he said, some elements that are unfair, and much that is
unwelcome and confusing to some people.

It is a matter of faith to some that the activities of living beings
are produced by the interaction of objectively detectable matter and
energy, and therefore technology can come progressively closer to
understanding and reproducing them.

It is a matter of faith to others that the same activities of living
beings depend on something that is not explainable by the interaction
of objectively detectable matter and energy, and therefore technology
will always fall short of understanding and reproducing them.

Two points in the preceding statements are worth noting:

First, the philosophical bases are diametrically opposite.

Second, the conclusions are totally consistent and cannot be
distinguished by observation.

To a perfect scientist or engineer, it does not matter whether you say
that we will come ever closer to simulating life, or that we will never
perfectly simulate life.  Both are good working hypotheses.

Once we realize that the argument is essentially religious, we will
stop arguing about it.

M. B. Brilliant					Marty
AT&T-BL HO 3D-520	(201) 949-1858		Home (201) 946-8147
Holmdel, NJ 07733	att!houdi!marty1

Disclaimer: Opinions stated herein are mine unless and until my employer
	    explicitly claims them; then I lose all rights to them.