Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!hi-csc!harper
From: harper@hi-csc.UUCP (Paul L. Harper)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Artificial Intelligence and Intelligence
Summary: Re: Artificial Intelligence and Intelligence
Message-ID: <4082b96b.75f0@hi-csc.UUCP>
Date: 27 Dec 88 19:21:00 GMT
References: <484@soleil.UUCP> <1654@hp-sdd.HP.COM> <1908@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk> <Dec.15.11.41.17.1988.12131@klaatu.rutgers.edu>
Organization: Honeywell CSDD, Golden Valley, MN
Lines: 31

J Storrs Hall @ Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
writes (in response to my posting):

> It turns out that
> there are plenty are reasons to believe that (a) intelligence
> is possible in computers of sufficient memory and processing 
> power; (b) it will be possible for us to create such intelligent
> programs after a sufficient investment in software capital; and
> (c) the knowledge gained in attempting this will be interesting
> and useful.  
> 
> However, it would be boring and worthless to explain this to
> Mr. Harper, so I shall not try.  Instead I will merely offer him
> the advice that if AI baffles him, ignore it, and we'll all be
> better off.                      

Whew! Rather than respond to the tone of the above, I'd like
to ask what the reasons are for believing (a) and (b) above.

What are the foundations for believing in the above?
Is this based on a belief in functional AI (if the functions that
make up intelligence can be identified, in terms of input and output
relationships, then any implementation is adequate), 
or does the requirement of memory and processing power stem from
the belief that simulating the brain (to presumably a rather fine
level of detail) would be a means to attain AI?

I am not *attacking* AI; I'm just looking for scientific justification
for the many claims, etc.

                             Paul