The Fractal Beauty of Emergence: Re-EnVisioning Intelligence in Man and Machine Simon D. Levy Department of Computer Science Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA

Big Questions What makes us human?What makes us human? What keeps us from becoming more?What keeps us from becoming more? How do our metaphors hold us (and our artefacts) back? How do our metaphors hold us (and our artefacts) back?

What Makes Us Human? Soul / Spirit Soul / Spirit Emotion Emotion Consciousness Consciousness Intelligence Intelligence Language Language

Language Reference to distal objects/events Reference to distal objects/events Reference to (others’) beliefs Reference to (others’) beliefs Structure (syntax) Structure (syntax) Rule-governedRule-governed

Language : Nature or Nurture? - Acquisition automatic - Acquisition automatic - “Inexplicable” patterns across languages - “Inexplicable” patterns across languages - Trans-finite / recursive representations - Trans-finite / recursive representations Skinner (1940’s-50’s): Verbal Behavior Skinner (1940’s-50’s): Verbal Behavior Chomsky (50’s…): Universal Grammar Chomsky (50’s…): Universal Grammar

The Current Dogma Language is fundamentally digital (recursive, symbolic, rule-based) computationLanguage is fundamentally digital (recursive, symbolic, rule-based) computation Like the rest of human psychology, this computation is largely determined by biological evolution Like the rest of human psychology, this computation is largely determined by biological evolution Chomsky: Accidental, non-adaptive Chomsky: Accidental, non-adaptive Pinker: Survival value of communication Pinker: Survival value of communication

Emergence: Escaping the Nature/Nurture Dichotomy “Inexplicable” patterns across languages Language itself evolves adaptively Language itself evolves adaptively (Universal) patterns emerge under constraints of communication (Universal) patterns emerge under constraints of communication

Language as Emergence Sounds (phonemes) emerge as attractors in perception/action space [Browman / Goldstein / Studdert-Kennedy] Sounds (phonemes) emerge as attractors in perception/action space [Browman / Goldstein / Studdert-Kennedy] Universal syntactic patterns emerge from constraints on processing [Hurford / Kirby/ Batali] Universal syntactic patterns emerge from constraints on processing [Hurford / Kirby/ Batali]

Fractals: Structure Without Rules Fractal self-similarity mirrors self-similarity (embedding) in language… Trans-finite / recursive representations

... But I know, too,

That

the blackbird is involved in

what what

... But I know, too, That the blackbird is involved In what – Wallace Stevens I know.

Language as a Fractal Fractals can be directly implemented in neural-like networks [Tabor] Fractals can be directly implemented in neural-like networks [Tabor] Neural architectures can be “super- Turing” in power [Siegelmann] Neural architectures can be “super- Turing” in power [Siegelmann] Human language may be located on the fractal “edge of chaos” [Crutchfield / Young] : kind of rule-governed, kind of wild Human language may be located on the fractal “edge of chaos” [Crutchfield / Young] : kind of rule-governed, kind of wild

Implications for AI / Cog. Sci. Maybe our metaphors (not computing power) are what’s holding back human- like machine intelligenceMaybe our metaphors (not computing power) are what’s holding back human- like machine intelligence Possibility of a “Grand Unification” between the way we think about images / art and the way we think about computation / thought / language Possibility of a “Grand Unification” between the way we think about images / art and the way we think about computation / thought / language

Implications for Transhumanism Dogma of biologically determined, hard- wired digital brains / computers loses appeal.Dogma of biologically determined, hard- wired digital brains / computers loses appeal. Humans are “natural-born cyborgs” [Clark] whose tools co-evolve adaptively with human wetware and environment. Humans are “natural-born cyborgs” [Clark] whose tools co-evolve adaptively with human wetware and environment.