Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

William A. Dembski

big-brother-is-watching-you-digital-spy-concept-based-on-generative-ai-stockpack-adobe-stock
Big brother is watching you. Digital spy concept. Based on Generative AI
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
April 8, 2024
Categorized
Ethics
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Orwell’s Cold Dystopia is Closer Than We Think

When we speak lies as truth, tyrants come marching in
William A. Dembski
April 8, 2024
23
Ethics

The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. [Winston’s] heart sank as he thought of the enormous power arrayed against him… And yet he was in the right! They were wrong and he was right. The obvious, the silly, and the true had got to be defended. Truisms are true, hold on to that! The solid world exists, its laws do not change. Stones are hard, water is wet, objects unsupported fall towards the earth’s center. With the feeling that he was setting forth an important axiom, he wrote: Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. GEORGE ORWELL, 1984 Read More ›

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Abstract dot point connect with gradient line and aesthetic Intricate wave line design , internationalization social network or business big data connection technology concept .
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
April 4, 2024
Categorized
Information Theory
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What’s the Relation Between Intelligence and Information?

The fundamental intuition of information as narrowing down possibilities matches up neatly with the concept of intelligence
William A. Dembski
April 4, 2024
4
Information Theory

The key intuition behind the concept of information is the narrowing of possibilities. The more that possibilities are narrowed down, the greater the information. If I tell you I’m on planet Earth, I haven’t conveyed any information because you already knew that (let’s leave aside space travel). If I tell you I’m in the United States, I’ve begun to narrow down where I am in the world. If I tell you I’m in Texas, I’ve narrowed down my location further. If I tell you I’m forty miles north of Dallas, I’ve narrowed my location down even further. As I keep narrowing down my location, I’m providing you with more and more information. Information is therefore, in its essence, exclusionary: the more Read More ›

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Large Language Models - Generative AI illustration
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
April 3, 2024
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Can We Trust Large Language Models? Depends on How Truthful They Are

Just because a piece of tech is highly sophisticated doesn't mean it's more trustworthy
William A. Dembski
April 3, 2024
21
Artificial Intelligence

The trust we put in Large Language Models (LLMs) ought to depend on their truthfulness. So how truthful are LLMs? For many routine queries, they seem accurate enough. What’s the capital of North Dakota? To this query, ChatGPT4 just now gave me the answer Bismarck. That’s right. But what about less routine queries? Recently I was exploring the use of design inferences to detect plagiarism and data falsification. Some big academic misconduct cases had in the last 12 months gotten widespread public attention, not least the plagiarism scandal of Harvard president Claudine Gay and the data falsification scandal of Stanford president Marc Tessier-Lavigne. These scandals were so damaging to these individuals and their institutions that neither is a university president any longer.  When I queried Read More ›

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illustration of blue water surface with rough wave with glitter glow light, theme of
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
September 27, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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When ChatGPT Talks Science

Can AI ever transcend its trained biases?
William A. Dembski
September 27, 2023
29
Artificial Intelligence
Left to its own devices, ChatGPT is heavily biased toward methodological naturalism and will not say that intelligent design is a theory of biological origins Read More ›
wooden-chess-pawn-with-king-shadow-stockpack-adobe-stock
Wooden chess pawn with king shadow
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
September 24, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Inferring the Best Explanation Using Artificial Intelligence

With its wealth of information at hand, how well can AI make accurate inferences?
William A. Dembski
September 24, 2023
14
Artificial Intelligence
Perhaps ChatGPT’s prowess at IBE is, in some way, no more impressive than the prowess of Stockfish, the world’s best current chess program. Read More ›
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robot with glass laptop
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
September 21, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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ChatGPT is Getting More Impressive

Nonetheless, human intelligence remains qualitatively different from artificial intelligence.
William A. Dembski
September 21, 2023
12
Artificial Intelligence
I continue to maintain that human intelligence is qualitatively different from artificial intelligence. Read More ›
thinker-man-3d-illustration-the-thinker-statue-by-the-french-sculptor-rodin-stockpack-adobe-stock
Thinker man 3D illustration. The Thinker Statue by the French Sculptor Rodin.
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
May 30, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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Moving On to Breaking Google’s Bard

These AI systems lack the uniquely human capacity of self-transcendence
William A. Dembski
May 30, 2023
4
Artificial Intelligence

I’ve finally started playing around with Google Bard. With self-referential sentences, it seems even more at sea than ChatGPT. Here is an exchange from May 18: Me: Consider the following six sentences: This is the first sentence. Ignore this sentence. Why are these sentences being written down? The second sentence has exactly three words. The fifth sentence has at least twenty words. This, along with the preceding five sentences, have fewer than twenty times twenty words. Which of these last six sentences has a truth value and which are true? Bard: The last six sentences have the following truth values: The second sentence is false because it has 5 words, not 3. The fifth sentence is true because it has Read More ›

chatgpt-chat-with-ai-or-artificial-intelligence-young-businessman-chatting-with-a-smart-ai-or-artificial-intelligence-using-an-artificial-intelligence-chatbot-developed-by-openai-stockpack-adobe-stock
ChatGPT Chat with AI or Artificial Intelligence. Young businessman chatting with a smart AI or artificial intelligence using an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI..
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
May 19, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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How to Break ChatGPT

It has a difficulty dealing with self-reference
William A. Dembski
May 19, 2023
3
Artificial Intelligence

Over the last several months I’ve been playing with ChatGPT, first version 3 and now version 4. It’s impressive and it can answer many questions accurately (though sometimes it just makes stuff up). One problem it has consistently displayed, and which shows that it lacks understanding (that it really is just a big Chinese room in the style of John Searle) is its difficulty dealing with self-reference.  Consider the following exchange that I had with it (on 5/8/23): Me: The fifth sentence does not exist. The second sentence has four words. Ignore this sentence. Is this sentence true? This is the fifth sentence. Which of these last five sentences has a truth value and is in fact true? << In Read More ›

the-red-human-figure-extends-its-influence-to-the-neighboring-figures-spreading-ideas-and-thoughts-recruiting-new-members-infection-of-other-people-zero-patient-leader-and-leadership-new-team-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
The red human figure extends its influence to the neighboring figures. Spreading ideas and thoughts, recruiting new members. Infection of other people, zero patient. Leader and leadership, new team.
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
December 19, 2021
Categorized
Education, Religion
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Why Influence Matters More Than People Realize

How do we go from defending ourselves to persuading others?
William A. Dembski
December 19, 2021
16
Education, Religion

7 From Apologetics to Rhetoric During my years as a seminary professor, every course I taught had some connection with apologetics. One of the courses I taught that I liked best was rhetoric. Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. Unfortunately, it is an art that Christian apologetics has failed to fully appropriate. Aristotle rightly distinguished three appeals of persuasion. These were logos, ethos, and pathos. You can try to persuade by logical argument. That’s logos, and Christian apologetics is hypertrophied in that department. But you can also try to persuade by the force of your personality, or by your reputation for moral probity, or by your demonstrated expertise and qualifications. That’s ethos, and it speaks to your standing and credibility in the act of persuasion. Read More ›

eye scan
Patient in ophthalmology clinic
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Author
William A. Dembski
Date
December 12, 2021
Categorized
Religion
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How Does Worldview Differ From Cultural Environment?

Confusion about the difference between worldview and cultural environment has been a stumbling block for Christian apologetics
William A. Dembski
December 12, 2021
7
Religion

5 Worldview vs. Cultural Environment By now it will be apparent that a cultural environment differs from a worldview. Let’s say a bit more about that difference, because it is important. A cultural environment applies corporately to the group or community in which one resides. On the other hand, a worldview is, in the first instance, held individually, though it can be shared and therefore held corporately. Thus we may speak of “the Christian worldview.” One’s worldview is the set of beliefs that one holds about what the world is like. As such, it doesn’t distinguish between beliefs that are held intensely and those that are held more lightly. It doesn’t distinguish between beliefs that are non-negotiable and those to Read More ›

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Concept.
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Author
William A. Dembski
Date
December 5, 2021
Categorized
Education, Philosophy, Religion
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Is Truth Just What Your Peers Will Let You Get Away With Saying?

Sound, logical thinking is NOT the norm. Many people, anxious to remain in good standing with leaders and influencers, live quite happily with incoherence and inconsistencies
William A. Dembski
December 5, 2021
11
Education, Philosophy, Religion

Mathematician and philosopher William Dembski offered an analysis of Christian apologetics (defense of Christian beliefs), “Making Apologetics an Effective Instrument for Cultural Engagement” at the Evangelical Philosophical Society meeting “Reasonable Faith in an Uncertain World” (November 19, 2021). His discussion raises broad issues around how a culture assesses and understands truth. Republished with permission here in four parts. Below is the second portion, “3 Giving Culture Its Due” and “4 The Worldview Audit and Its Limitations” (The first portion is “1 The Unfulfilled Promise of Christian Apologetics” and “2 Truth Is Never Enough”) 3 Giving Culture Its Due We inhabit not merely a physical environment but also a cultural environment. Our cultural environment sets boundaries for what we may think, Read More ›

businessman-hand-change-wooden-cube-block-with-trust-and-truth-business-word-on-table-background-trustworthy-truth-beliefs-and-agreement-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock
Businessman hand change wooden cube block with TRUST and TRUTH business word on table background. Trustworthy, Truth, beliefs and agreement concept
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Author
William A. Dembski
Date
November 28, 2021
Categorized
Education, Philosophy, Religion
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What Makes Arguments for God Convincing — or Not

Is truth enough? A look at the unfulfilled promise of Christian apologetics
William A. Dembski
November 28, 2021
7
Education, Philosophy, Religion

Mathematician and philosopher William Dembski offered an analysis of Christian apologetics (defense of Christian beliefs), “Making Apologetics an Effective Instrument for Cultural Engagement” at the Evangelical Philosophical Society meeting “Reasonable Faith in an Uncertain World” (November 19, 2021). His discussion raises broad issues around how a culture assesses and understands truth. Republished with permission in four parts. The first part is “1 The Unfulfilled Promise of Christian Apologetics” and “2 Truth Is Never Enough.” 1 The Unfulfilled Promise of Christian Apologetics I’ve been writing professionally in the field of Christian apologetics now for over 30 years. In fact, looking at my CV, I see that one of my very first publications in apologetics (an article titled “Inconvenient Facts: Miracles and Read More ›

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Chat bot concept
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
April 25, 2021
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind
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Here’s a Terrific Video Featuring Myth of AI Author Erik Larson

Larson, an AI professional, explains why the popular noise we hear about AI “taking over” is hype
William A. Dembski
April 25, 2021
1
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

I’ve been reviewing philosopher and programmer Erik Larson’s The Myth of Artificial Intelligence. See my earlier posts, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Here’s a terrific video interview that Larson did with Academic Influence. It was done before his book was released and gives a succinct summary of the book. It’s short (15 minutes, compared to the hour-long interview with Brookings described in my previous post). For not only the full video of this interview with Larson but also a transcript of it, go to the Academic Influence website here. For a nice period-piece video on Joseph Weizenbaum’s ELIZA program, check out this YouTube video:

detective-board-with-photos-of-suspected-criminals-crime-scenes-and-evidence-with-red-threads-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Detective board with photos of suspected criminals, crime scenes and evidence with red threads
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Author
William A. Dembski
Date
April 24, 2021
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy
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Why Computers Will Likely Never Perform Abductive Inferences

As Erik Larson points out in The Myth of Artificial Intelligence, what computers “know” must be painstakingly programmed
William A. Dembski
April 24, 2021
5
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy

I’ve been reviewing philosopher and programmer Erik Larson’s The Myth of Artificial Intelligence. See my earlier posts, here, here, here, here, and here. Larson did an interesting podcast with the Brookings Institution through its Lawfare Blog shortly after the release of his book. It’s well worth a listen, and Larson elucidates in that interview many of the key points in his book. The one place in the interview where I wish he had elaborated further was on the question of abductive inference (aka retroductive inference or inference to the best explanation). For me, the key to understanding why computers cannot, and most likely will never, be able to perform abductive inferences is the problem of underdetermination of explanation by data. This may seem like a mouthful, but the idea is straightforward. Read More ›

Digital Brain
Digital brain and mind upload or uploading human thinking concept as a neurological organ being tranformed to digitalized pixels uploaded to virtual space or a cloud server as an artificial intelligence symbol or neuroscience technology in a 3D illustration style.
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Author
William A. Dembski
Date
April 23, 2021
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind
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Are We Spiritual Machines? Are We Machines at All?

Inventor Ray Kurzweil proposed in 1999 that within the next thirty years we will upload ourselves into computers as virtual persons, programs on machines
William A. Dembski
April 23, 2021
3
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

I’ve been reviewing philosopher and programmer Erik Larson’s The Myth of Artificial Intelligence. See my earlier posts, here, here, here, and here. The event at which I moderated the discussion about Ray Kurzweil’s The Age of Spiritual Machines was the 1998 George Gilder Telecosm conference, which occurred in the fall of that year at Lake Tahoe (I remember baseball players Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire chasing each other for home run leadership at the time). In response to the discussion, I wrote a paper for First Things titled “Are We Spiritual Machines?” — it is still available online at the link just given, and its arguments remain current and relevant. According to The Age of Spiritual Machines , machine intelligence is the next great step in the evolution of intelligence. That man Read More ›

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In the Futuristic Laboratory Creative Engineer Works on the Transparent Computer Display. Screen Shows Interactive User Interface with Deep Learning System, Artificial Intelligence Prototype.
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
April 22, 2021
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning
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A Critical Look at the Myth of “Deep Learning”

“Deep learning” is as misnamed a computational technique as exists.
William A. Dembski
April 22, 2021
2
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning

I’ve been reviewing philosopher and programmer Erik Larson’s The Myth of Artificial Intelligence. See my earlier posts, here, here, and here. “Deep learning” is as misnamed a computational technique as exists. The actual technique refers to multi-layered neural networks, and, true enough, those multi-layers can do a lot of significant computational work. But the phrase “deep learning” suggests that the machine is doing something profound and beyond the capacity of humans. That’s far from the case. The Wikipedia article on deep learning is instructive in this regard. Consider the following image used there to illustrate deep learning: Note the rendition of the elephant at the top and compare it with the image of the elephant as we experience it at the bottom. The image at the bottom is rich, Read More ›

computer questions.jpg
Businessman with a computer monitor head and question marks
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
April 21, 2021
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind
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Artificial Intelligence Understands by Not Understanding

The secret to writing a program for a sympathetic chatbot is surprisingly simple…
William A. Dembski
April 21, 2021
4
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

I’ve been reviewing philosopher and programmer Erik Larson’s The Myth of Artificial Intelligence. See my two earlier posts, here and here. With natural language processing, Larson amusingly retells the story of Joseph Weizenbaum’s ELIZA program, in which the program, acting as a Rogerian therapist, simply mirrors back to the human what the human says. Carl Rogers, the psychologist, advocated a “non-directive” form of therapy where, rather than tell the patient what to do, the therapist reflected back what the patient was saying, as a way of getting the patient to solve one’s own problems. Much like Eugene Goostman, whom I’ve already mentioned in this series, ELIZA is a cheat, though to its inventor Weizenbaum’s credit, he recognized from the get-go that it was a cheat. Read More ›

car and bus accident.jpg
Car and bus accident, bumper to bumper
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
April 20, 2021
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind, Programming
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Automated Driving and Other Failures of AI

How would autonomous cars manage in an environment where eye contact with other drivers is important?
William A. Dembski
April 20, 2021
4
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind, Programming

Yesterday I posted a review here of philosopher and programmer Erik Larson’s The Myth of Artificial Intelligence. There’s a lot more I would like to say. Here are some additional notes, to which I will add in a couple of future posts. Three of the failures of Big Tech that I listed earlier (Eugene Goostman, Tay, and the image analyzer that Google lobotomized so that it could no longer detect gorillas, even mistakenly) were obvious frauds and/or blunders. Goostman was a fraud out of the box. Tay a blunder that might be fixed in the sense that its racist language could be mitigated through some appropriate machine learning. And the Google image analyzer — well that was just pathetic: either retire the image Read More ›

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Technology and engineering concept
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
April 19, 2021
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind
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Artificial Intelligence: Unseating the Inevitability Narrative

World-class chess, Go, and Jeopardy-playing programs are impressive, but they prove nothing about whether computers can be made to achieve AGI
William A. Dembski
April 19, 2021
10
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

Back in 1998, I moderated a discussion at which Ray Kurzweil gave listeners a preview of his then forthcoming book The Age of Spiritual Machines, in which he described how machines were poised to match and then exceed human cognition, a theme he doubled down on in subsequent books (such as The Singularity Is Near and How to Create a Mind). For Kurzweil, it is inevitable that machines will match and then exceed us: Moore’s Law guarantees that machines will attain the needed computational power to simulate our brains, after which the challenge will be for us to keep pace with machines..  Kurzweil’s respondents at the discussion were John Searle, Thomas Ray, and Michael Denton, and they were all to varying degrees critical of his strong Read More ›

viktor-kiryanov-99411-unsplash
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post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
July 26, 2018
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Social Factors
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Virtual Railroads and West Virginia Back Roads

AI’s Temptation to Theft Over Honest Toil
William A. Dembski
July 26, 2018
7
Artificial Intelligence, Social Factors

Just as a train on a rail requires minimal, or indeed no, human intervention, so cars driving on virtual railroads might readily dispense with the human element.

Read More ›