Cognitive Computing 2012 The computer and the mind INTRODUCTION See: Professor Mark Bishop

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing2 Reading list Essential texts: Harnish, R., (2002), Minds, Brains & Computers, Blackwell, ISBN Secondary texts: Boden, M., (1990), The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence, OUP, ISBN Boden, M., (1996), The Philosophy of Artificial Life, OUP, ISBN

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing3 An introduction to cognitive science Harnish, R., “Minds, Brains, Computers” W1: Principles of Dualism W2: Principles of Associationism W3: Principles of Behaviourism W4: Principles of Connectionism W5: Principles of Identity Theory W6: READING WEEK W7: Principles of Functionalism W8: Principles of Knowledge Representation (1) W9: Principles of Knowledge Representation (2) W10: The Computational Theory of Mind W11: The Connectionist Theory of Mind

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing4 Foundation of artificial intelligence and artificial life The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence, (Boden) W1: Computing Machinery & Intelligence, (Turing). W2: Minds, Brains & Programs, (Searle). W3: Computer Science as Empirical Enquiry, (Newell & Simon). W4: Cognitive Wheels, (Dennett). W5: Some Reductive Strategies in Cognitive Neurobiology, (Churchlands) W6: READING WEEK W7: Making a mind versus modeling the brain, (Dreyfus & Dreyfus) The Philosophy of Artificial Life, (Boden) W8: Artificial Life, (Langton). W9: From Robots to Rothko, (Wheeler) W10: Autonomy and Artificiality, (Boden) W11: Tierra, (Ray)

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing5 Assessment Write an extended (5,000 word) essay (to be submitted by 4pm, Friday last day of the autumn term) Problems with representations. i.e. Amongst other issues, your essay may discuss:  What is a representation?  Intentionality: how might a representation ‘represent’ reality?  The danger of homunculus fallacies.  Representations and the Cartesian theatre.  Processing – using – representations in cognition.  Action-orientated representations, etc. etc.  How to cognize without using representations?

Cognitive Computing 2012 The computer and the mind FIRST STEPS Professor Mark Bishop

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing7 First steps in Cognitive Science How is it that cognitive systems - such as ourselves - can: think; hold conversations; recognise objects; play tennis; feel pain; see red. Cognitive Science is concerned with explaining how such behaviours are realised.

The ‘representational theory of mind’ The ‘representational theory of mind’ is the dominant theory of the nature of mental content in cognitive science, modern philosophy of mind and experimental psychology. In contrast to theories of naive or direct realism - where sense provides us with direct awareness of the external world - it postulates the existence of mental intermediaries – representations - between the observing subject and the objects in the external world. These intermediaries stand for - represent - to the mind objects of the world. 23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing8

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing9 What is cognition? An attempt to explain the processes that underlie [conscious] thought; this leads to the: Narrow Definition of Cognition: the mental manipulation of mental representations. Cognitivism: the belief that cognition consists of discrete, internal mental states (representations) whose manipulation can be described in terms of rules or algorithms. Broad Definition of Cognition: involves investigation of: Attention. Memory. Learning. Reasoning. Problem solving.

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing10 What is computation? Broad Definition: Is simply whatever computer do... give off heat; play music; watch DVDs etc. Narrow Definition: Computation is ‘information processing’. For David Marr - like Newell & Simon before him - ‘Information Processing systems’ involve manipulation of symbols. For Marr Information Processing (IP) systems have three levels of description: What problems does the IP system solve? What algorithms does the IP system employ? How are the algorithms implemented?

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing11 What is intelligence (1) We need to identify intelligence so that we can rightly ascribe the quality to a machine if, and when, it is present. Is Intelligence: The deduction of mathematical proof? A computer demonstrated strength in this ability in 1963, ‘Empirical explorations with the logic theory machine’, (Newell, Shaw & Simon). The ability to do intelligence tests? A computer demonstrated strength in this ability in 1968, ‘A heuristic Program to solve Geometric Analogy Problems’, (Minsky).

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing12 What is intelligence (2) Answer specialised questions about a complex knowledge domain? A computer demonstrated strength in this ability in 1971, ‘On Generality and Problem Solving...’, the DENDRAL Expert System project, (Feigenbaum et al). Answering general questions about a simple knowledge domain? A computer demonstrated strength in this ability in 1973, ‘A Procedural Model of Language Understanding’, (Winograd), SHRDLU: the blocks world.

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing13 What is intelligence (3) The ability to play a strong game of chess? A computer has demonstrated strength in this ability from The DEEP THOUGHT project ( )... But did it have human help…. In game two DB made one exceptionally good move.. But then subsequently missed an obvious counter move (luckily for IBM so did Kasparov).

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing14 So, what is a chair? How do I know the object - pictured right - is a chair? Are there specific rules/features that define if a given object is a chair? I.e. has the given object: A back? A seat? Four legs? It seems apparent that there is no one distinctive feature set necessary and sufficient for the property of ‘chairiness’. Thus there is no reason to look - as we have traditionally - for one, essential core in which the meaning of a concept (e.g. chair) is located and which is, therefore, common to all uses of that word. This lack of rigid rule based structure has posed serious problems for rule based, computational attempts to solve problems in object categorization.

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing15 On family resemblance An alternative approach to object categorization is suggested in the later work of the great twentieth century philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein. In ‘Philosophical Investigations’, Wittgenstein suggested family resemblance as a suitable analogy for the means of connecting particular uses of the same concept. In other words, we correctly say of something that it is a chair, iff it has a group of features in common - it shares a family resemblance to - objects we class as chairs. I.e. we should travel with the concept's uses through "a complicated network of similarities, overlapping and criss-crossing" (PI 66). Family resemblance also serves to exhibit the lack of boundaries and the distance from exactness that characterize different uses of the same concept

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing16 So what is cognitive science? (1) The Narrow Definition of Cognitive Science: Cognitive Science is not an area of study but a doctrine Specifically the Computational Theory of Mind, (CTM). The mind/brain is a type of computer. But this definition of Cognitive Science is risky.. If cognition turns out not to be computational then on this definition there is no Cognitive Science…

23/09/2015Bishop: An introduction to Cognitive Computing17 What is cognitive science? (2) Broad Definition – the scientific study of cognition which involves: Computer Science / Artificial Intelligence Instantiation of complex (intelligent) system in a real machine. Neuroscience Aims to provide a functional analysis of various portions of the brain. Psychology Investigation of attention, memory, learning, reasoning, problem solving etc. Linguistics Understanding of language. eg. Cholmsky’s work on transformative grammars. Anthropology Investigating cognitive phenomena from a cross cultural perspective. Philosophy Many problems in Cognitive Science are old philosophical problems recast in new language.  The Mind/Body problem; free will; consciousness etc.