Art, Science + Technology

DMA9 Fall 2007, Section B

W4: AI, Biology and Networks

At what point is a computer considered to possess artificial intelligence? The American Heritage New Dictionary states that AI is “The means of duplicating or imitating intelligence in computers, robots, or other devices, which allows them to solve problems, discriminate among objects, and respond to voice commands.” However, although this definition is accurate, I feel that a final, vital component (which this definition, at least from my point of view, lacks) is creativity. You could argue that creativity is part of “solving problems” but I feel that such a higher mental process deserves its own category.

The day that computers attain creativity (probably through some complex computer algorithm, created by some ‘Einstein-like’ genius), at a level equivalent to that of a human being, will be one of a grand paradigm shift. In the present, people tend to separate themselves from other beings such as animals and computers by their intelligence. Our intelligence is our pride. However, when AI becomes nearly identical to human intelligence, people will start to question what makes them different, more special. I feel that either one of three things happen. Either we all get along famously, we eradicate the human-like level of AI in order to keep our superior status, or the computers overrun and kill people … like in the movies Terminator, Matrix, I Robot, etc.

—Spoiler Alert— for Half-Life Portal

Besides movies, another example of where a computer goes completely crazy and starts killing … or better yet, playing with humans is in the computer game Half-Life Portal. The computer becomes very creative in its attempt to ‘exterminate’ you. Suffice to say, the ending song is disturbing and suggests that computers have emotions, frustrations, etc. On a side note, this game is art. I can’t even begin to imagine how they created the engine/system for the portals. It’s truly a masterpiece.
Youtube Video of Portal

Regarding networks, its interesting how biology and computer networks are related. Biological networks were the basis for computer networks. Each aspect of a biological network (ecosystem) works together to support the entire structure. This design was used as a blueprint for computer networks. However, computers have also been influential on psychology, which is, in a sense, a type of biology (at least according to UCLA, since psychology is a life-science instead of social science here). For example, thanks to the computer/calculator/etc, psychologists moved away from traditional behaviorism and towards the learning perspective which incorporates higher mental processes in their explanation for behavior.

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