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From: marty@homxc.ATT.COM (M.B.BRILLIANT)
Newsgroups: comp.ai,talk.philosophy.misc
Subject: Re: Artificial Intelligence and Intelligence
Summary: Maybe intelligence is the "improvement"
Message-ID: <4882@homxc.ATT.COM>
Date: 9 Jan 89 16:37:00 GMT
References: <552@soleil.UUCP> <687@htsa.uucp>
Organization: AT&T BL Holmdel NJ USA
Lines: 36

In article <687@htsa.uucp>, fransvo@htsa.uucp (Frans van Otten) writes:
> ....  I really
> stick to my definition of intelligence:
> 
>   ***  Intelligence: The ability to draw a conclusion.
> 
>   ***  Needed:        A database and an algorithm to reach a conclusion
>                       based on the data.
> 
>   ***  Improvements:  The ability to change the database.
> 		      The conclusion-algorithm being part of the database,
> 		      so that the system can add/change algorithms.

I like this formulation because I think it contains the key to the
definition of intelligence.

An expert system can draw a conclusion using a database and an algorithm.
I would not call it intelligent.  Intelligence is a generalization of
this capability, namely, the "Improvements" at the end of the list.

It is not sufficient to be able to go one only step further, and have a
database of databases, and a database of algorithms, and an algorithm
for choosing new databases and new algorithms.  Intelligence implies
the ability to create an arbitrary number of levels of databases of
databases, and databases of algorithms, and algorithms for choosing
databases and algorithms from the preceding level.

I suggest that the ability to reach an indefinite number of levels of
generalization distinguishes intelligence from mere computation.

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
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