The Thinking Machine Based on Tape

Computer Has Some Intelligence Now Playing chess Solving calculus problems Other examples:

Intelligence vs. Mind Intelligence is ability of logical thinking. Mind reflects imagination, feeling, emotions, and intuition.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) AI is a branch of computer science, to make a computer able to “think” and become “smarter”. To achieve the goal, a computer is not necessarily imitating human brain, just like to fly is not necessarily to imitate a bird.

Knowledge vs. Basic Senses and Skills Computers, as expert systems, now can do ‘complicated’ jobs with the ‘deep’ knowledge. But computers cannot do what a two-years old child can do, since it lacks the basic knowledge and basic skills.

Easy vs. Hard Many things are easy for humans but hard for machine, such as playing toys, navigation, tying shoelaces, and dealing with ambiguities. Something is easy for machines but hard for humans, such as complex calculation and accurate memory.

True Intelligence “True intelligence” refers to “a brain without body”. True intelligence can bypass many common senses and skills related to activities. But it is still difficult. Language translation, for example.

Language Translation Language is full of ambiguity. People speaking different languages are sharing many common sensitivities, fears, beliefs, sympathies, loves,... One has achieved progresses in translation. A lot of hard cores yet to overcome.

Turing Test A human tester ‘talks’ to a system on a keyboard. The ‘system’, which is in another room, can be a computer or a human. If the tester is not able to tell whether he is talking to a machine or a human, then we say the machine has intelligence of our humans.

Expert System An expert system is a computer system that is able to solve the problems that need human experts. Examples: –Diagnosing diseases; –Chemical analysis; –Piloting aircrafts. An expert system resembles an idiot savant who is a ‘genius’ in some aspect but idiotic in others.

Machine Learning (ML) “Machine learning (ML)” refers to the capability of building up knowledge by itself. ML is an area of AI. With ML, knowledge of a computer can be built up by itself through its experience, reading, and logical deduction. ML is key for a computer to be as smart as human.

Neural Network “Neural network” is a computer system, mainly software, that simulates the process of our brain’s neural system. By using the neural network, the computer’s knowledge can be input by the designer or learned by itself. Example: NetTalk, a neural network, is taught to speak.

Project at CYC The AI project is to construct the fundamental knowledge piece by piece for computers. Its goal is the intelligence of 4 years old child. There are about 10 million pieces of basic knowledge.