Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagFeatured

digital-chatbot-robot-application-conversation-assistant-ai-artificial-intelligence-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock
Digital chatbot, robot application, conversation assistant, AI Artificial Intelligence concept.
Type
post
Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
December 14, 2022
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Creativity
Tagged
, , , , , ,

Did the GPT3 Chatbot Pass the Lovelace Creativity Test?

The Lovelace Test determines whether the computer can think creatively. We found out…
Robert J. Marks
December 14, 2022
4
Artificial Intelligence, Creativity

The GPT-3 chatbot is awesome AI. Under the hood, GPT3 is a transformer model that uses sequence-to-sequence deep learning that can produce original text given an input sequence. In other words, GPT-3 is trained by using how words are positionally related. The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language is called syntax. Semantics is the branch of linguistics concerned with the meanings of words. GPT-3 trains on the syntax of training data to learn and generate interesting responses to queries. This was the intent of the programmers. GPT-3 is not directly concerned with semantics. Given a tutorial on a topic from the web, for example, GPT-3 does not learn from the tutorial’s teaching, but only Read More ›

coronavirus-pandemic-a-disinfector-in-a-protective-suit-and-mask-sprays-disinfectants-in-office-protection-agsinst-covid-19-disease-prevention-of-spreding-pneumonia-virus-with-surfaces-stockpack-adobe-stock
Coronavirus Pandemic. A disinfector in a protective suit and mask sprays disinfectants in office. Protection agsinst COVID-19 disease. Prevention of spreding pneumonia virus with surfaces.
Type
post
Author
Heather Zeiger
Date
December 12, 2022
Categorized
Censorship, China
Tagged
, , , , , , ,

When the Chinese Had Had Enough, Their Government Had To Listen

Embarrassingly, Xi had already declared victory over the virus in 2020, touting authoritarian governments as better able to respond
Heather Zeiger
December 12, 2022
5
Censorship, China

“The political object is the goal, war is the means of reaching it, and means can never be considered in isolation from their purpose.” (von Clausewitz, On War) Beijing’s zero-Covid policy was not sustainable. The highly publicized events in October and November in Urumqi, Xinjiang and at the Zhengzhou Foxconn factory served as the inciting events for what became a nationwide call for ending zero-Covid, giving people their freedoms — and there were even calls for Xi Jinping to step down. In the course of a week, Beijing went from touting zero-Covid to easing restrictions to censoring mentions of zero-Covid policy online. In November in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, several residents, including four children, died in an apartment fire Read More ›

machine-learning-artificial-intelligence-ai-deep-learning-blockchain-neural-network-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock
Machine learning , artificial intelligence, ai, deep learning blockchain neural network concept.
Type
post
Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
December 12, 2022
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
Tagged
, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How Google’s LaMDA Resolved an Old Conflict in AI

Will two conflicting views always be in opposition? Or can they sometimes be resolved at a higher level?
Robert J. Marks
December 12, 2022
5
Artificial Intelligence

In the movie Fiddler on the Roof there is a debate at one point. After listening to the cases made, a listener agrees with conclusions made from both sides of a conflict. Someone points out that “they can’t both be right!” to which the agreeable listener says “You know, you are also right.” Interestingly, the claim that the two sides of an issue will always be in opposition is not always true. The two sides can be in apparent conflict and both be right. Sometimes, but not always. The classic example is the blind men and the elephant. After feeling the elephant’s leg, one blind man says the elephant is like a tree. After feeling the elephant’s tail, another says the elephant Read More ›

graphic-abstract-butterfly-escapes-opening-heart-background-stockpack-adobe-stock
Graphic abstract butterfly escapes opening heart background
Type
post
Author
Gary Varner
Date
December 10, 2022
Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction
Tagged
, , , , , , , , ,

Orville: Isaac Gets To Be a Real Boy … for 30 seconds

Should he be given the opportunity to feel the painful emotions associated with his tragic circumstances? It's a dilemma that Dr. Finn does not seem to recognize
Gary Varner
December 10, 2022
8
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

This episode was nowhere near as abysmal as Episode Six. Granted not much happened, but it does offer one interesting idea. There are three main stories going on at the same time, and two of them intersect. First, the Orville is attempting to make peace with a race of aliens called the Janisi, who are a matriarchal society. In order to open negotiations with the Janisi, the crew decides to gender swap the staff on the ship. This is played for laughs, as a kind of a gotcha to all men, but for me, none of the jokes really landed. The bits are mostly just Seth MacFarlane stumbling around while carrying a bunch of suitcases for this alien race. It’s Read More ›

programming-code-script-abstract-screen-of-software-developer-stockpack-adobe-stock
Programming code script abstract screen of software developer.
Type
post
Author
News
Date
December 9, 2022
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind
Tagged
, , , , , ,

Computers Are Not Persons Because Computing Is Not Thinking

Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks discusses the issues with human dignity advocate Wesley J. Smith
News
December 9, 2022
5
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

Recently, Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks interviewed human dignity advocate Wesley J. Smith on the seeming science fiction question of “Can a computer be a person?” (November 10, 2022, podcast 212): https://mindmatters.ai/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/Mind-Matters-212-Robert-Marks.mp3 Here are a couple of highlights: About Alexa: Wesley J. Smith: I was going to ask you about Alexa because she may come on in behind me. Of course, she’s not a she. That’s just a female-sounding voice. But I can ask, we’ll call her A, so she doesn’t come on, what time it is and she’ll tell me immediately. I can tell her to play certain music and she’ll play it immediately. How does that operate? I mean, she’s not… That program is not intelligent, Read More ›

two-female-programmers-working-on-new-projectthey-working-late-at-night-at-the-office-stockpack-adobe-stock
Two female programmers working on new project.They working late at night at the office.
Type
post
Author
News
Date
December 8, 2022
Categorized
Programming
Tagged
, , , , ,

Jonathan Bartlett’s New Book Takes the Mystery out of Programming

Many people would benefit from understanding the basics of programming, especially the ideas and principles underlying Javascript, used at websites
News
December 8, 2022
7
Programming

Jonathan Bartlett, author of the well-received Calculus from the Ground Up (2018), has a new book out, Programming for Absolute Beginners: Using JavaScript. As he told Mind Matters News, the book is aimed at those who want to get started in programming, “whether that’s someone switching careers, an introductory college course, or a high school student.” Or just someone who needs to interact with programmers, perhaps in the workplace. Mind Matters News: You mention that, for those who want to learn programming today, the situation has changed, compared with earlier years. How has it changed? Jonathan Bartlett: I grew up around computers. I’ve been programming computers since the 1980s, and have been around the development scene for a long time. Read More ›

magazines-stockpack-adobe-stock
Magazines
Type
post
Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
December 7, 2022
Categorized
Peer Review
Tagged
, , , , , , ,

How the Inflation of Journal Citations Impacts Academia

Adjusted for inflation, a citation today is worth about half what it was ten years ago
Robert J. Marks
December 7, 2022
9
Peer Review

Over 30 years ago, I coauthored a book, Neural Smithing, on training artificial neural networks. In 2021 it was cited 112 times — more than in any previous year. Why? I wish the only reason was that my book is a classic and has stood the test of time. But the book was on training neural networks and a lot has happened in that field over the last 30 years. Another, more substantial reason, I’m afraid, is citation inflation. Stated simply, there are many more citations today than a few years ago and my book is catching its fair share. Monetary inflation can be corrected to tell us the value of a year 2000 dollar in 2022. Likewise, citation inflation Read More ›

from-hypothesis-to-resultsresearch-experiments-on-repeat-stockpack-adobe-stock
from hypothesis to results:research & experiments on repeat
Type
post
Author
Michael Egnor
Date
December 4, 2022
Categorized
Philosophy, Religion
Tagged
, , , , , ,

Is God Just a “Hypothesis” Like the Big Bang?

Michael Egnor
December 4, 2022
5
Philosophy, Religion

Our friend and interlocutor Edward Feser takes exception to the title of Stephen Meyer ’s recent book, The Return of the God Hypothesis. Dr. Feser writes: With all due respect, the phrase “the God hypothesis” gets my hackles up. If X is something on which the world might merely “hypothetically” depend then X isn’t God. An argument gets to God only if it establishes the reality of an X on which the world couldn’t fail to depend. Hence arguments that present theism as a “hypothesis” are – qua arguments for theism – time-wasters at best and indeed cause positive harm insofar as they yield a distorted conception of God and his relation to the world. That is not to rule Read More ›

time-concept-hi-res-digitally-generated-image-stockpack-adobe-stock
Time concept. Hi-res digitally generated image.
Type
post
Author
Gary Varner
Date
December 3, 2022
Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction
Tagged
, , , , , ,

The Orville, Season 3, Shows Its Authoritarian Side

This time travel episode is distinctly authoritarian in a way I’ve never seen before
Gary Varner
December 3, 2022
10
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Last time, we discussed how The Orville, Season 3, Episode 6, crossed into some truly disturbing territory, not just by showing a terrible event, but in a very subtle and manipulative way, advocating for it. This week, we’re going into the details. To recap, the Union sent the Orville to drop off a time travel device at a lab because they were worried that the Kaylon or Krill might try to use it to wipe out the Union in the distant past, something they consider a horrible crime. We discussed how the writers ignored a gigantic plot hole in order to contrive a tragedy for Gordon, who was sent into the past as a result of this attack. The Orville Read More ›

man-in-gas-mask-is-showing-an-ok-gesture-by-his-hand-close-up-on-gray-background-stockpack-adobe-stock
Man in gas mask is showing an Ok gesture by his hand close up on gray background.
Type
post
Author
Heather Zeiger
Date
November 28, 2022
Categorized
China, Global Technology
Tagged
, , ,

China: Massive Protests at Cell Phone Plant Continue

One accusation against Apple is that it has consistently failed to live up to its responsibilities as a global leader at the top of the supply chain.
Heather Zeiger
November 28, 2022
5
China, Global Technology

At the Foxconn plant in Zhengzhou where thousands of employees walked out on October 29, protests broke out on November 23. They were led by new hires staying on a campus dormitory after they learned that they would have to work an additional two months at lower pay before they receive their promised bonuses for coming to Foxconn to cover for the October exodus. Additionally, workers complained of inadequate food and fear of Covid exposure. Workers were offered 25,000 yuan (US$3,500) for two months of work, a 50% increase on the posted maximum wage. When they learned of changes in their agreement, employees at the dorm responded by pulling down outdoor tents (for Covid testing) and destroying a surveillance camera. Read More ›

time-concept-hi-res-digitally-generated-image-stockpack-adobe-stock
Time concept. Hi-res digitally generated image.
Type
post
Author
Gary Varner
Date
November 26, 2022
Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction
Tagged
, , , ,

The Orville: The Moral Conundrums of Time Travel, Part 1

What if killing a person’s past wipes out a whole family?
Gary Varner
November 26, 2022
6
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

The last two episodes I’ve discussed of Orville, Season 3, have delved into popular political issues that allowed the writers’ bias to damage the plot. This episode, Part 6, does something worse. It may not seem like a big deal, at first. But let me explain why this episode is terrible from a standpoint that goes beyond the writing. Yes, the writing is bad but that’s par for the course with this show. However, it’s one thing to prattle on about political issues that are in vogue. But it’s another matter entirely to murder a family, and defend the decision, and in so doing, try to establish a set of priorities that are, to say the least, unwholesome. Writers describe Read More ›

mouse-cursor-clicking-captcha-im-not-robot-checkbox-stockpack-adobe-stock
Mouse Cursor Clicking CAPTCHA
Type
post
Author
Eric Holloway
Date
November 22, 2022
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Censorship, Data Privacy, Philosophy of Mind, Social Media
Tagged
, , , ,

CAPTCHA: How Fooling Machines Is Different From Fooling Humans

Automated censorship is intended to protect against a tidal wave of spam but it could certainly have other uses…
Eric Holloway
November 22, 2022
3
Artificial Intelligence, Censorship, Data Privacy, Philosophy of Mind, Social Media

Readers of Mind Matters News have likely heard of the iconic Turing test. Computer pioneer Alan Turing famously invented a test to determine whether a program could pass as a human. The gist is, if a program can fool human testers into believing it is a human, then the program is intelligent. Not everyone is convinced. Thing is, it doesn’t take much to fool us humans! Take Eliza , a program of only a few hundred lines, written in the 60s, which fooled many people into believing it was a real human therapist. But what if we flip the Turing test on its head? Instead of a test where a program tries to pass as human, we use a test Read More ›

scared-young-girl-in-mask-coronavirus-panic-stockpack-adobe-stock
Scared young girl in mask, coronavirus panic
Type
post
Author
Heather Zeiger
Date
November 21, 2022
Categorized
Media, Medicine and Health, Politics
Tagged
, , , , , , , , , , , ,

China’s Foxconn Walkout: How Fear Messaging Can Backfire

Workers were caught in a conflict between unrealistic COVID Zero messaging from the government and seasonal performance demands from the employer
Heather Zeiger
November 21, 2022
8
Media, Medicine and Health, Politics

Around this time of year, the factories that produce Apple’s iPhones hire thousands of additional workers to meet the demand for the holiday season. While Apple is an American company and the electronics are designed in-house, the manufacturing is done overseas where labor costs are cheaper. One of the largest manufacturers for Apple’s iPhone products is Hon Hai Technology Group, better known as Foxconn, a Taiwan-based company with factories in several countries, including mainland China. One of its largest facilities is in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province — dubbed “iPhone City” by the locals. Thus the Zhengzhou Foxconn factory was slated to make 80% of the iPhone 14 models and 85% of the iPhone Pro models before the end Read More ›

businessman-holding-investment-finance-chart-stock-market-business-concept-and-exchange-financial-growth-graphinvesting-in-the-stock-market-of-cryptocurrencies-stockpack-adobe-stock
Businessman holding investment finance chart, stock market business concept, and exchange, financial growth graph,Investing in the stock market of cryptocurrencies
Type
post
Author
Jonathan Bartlett
Date
November 21, 2022
Categorized
Business and Finance, Cryptocurrency
Tagged
, , , ,

Understanding the Fall of FTX — the False Reality of Market Caps

Let’s have a look at the critical question that was never asked in the first place…
Jonathan Bartlett
November 21, 2022
9
Business and Finance, Cryptocurrency

In finance, the “market capitalization” or “market cap” of a security or currency is a simple way to evaluate the overall “value” of the total entity (this is also called “network value” in terms of a cryptocurrency). It is easiest to think about market caps in terms of stocks instead of currencies. In the stock market, if ABC Company is broken up into 100,000 shares, and the going market price is $3 per share, then the market cap of ABC is $300,000. Likewise for coins, if there are 100,000 coins available, and the current market price of the coin is $7, then the market cap of the coin will be $700,000. The idea behind the market cap is that, if Read More ›

beautiful-little-girl-on-nature-with-flowers-stockpack-adobe-stock
Beautiful little girl on nature with flowers
Type
post
Author
Gary Varner
Date
November 19, 2022
Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction
Tagged
, , , , , ,

Orville Episode 5: Bad Allegory — But Competent Writing

Competent writing is some compensation for an otherwise tedious exposition of transgender ideology
Gary Varner
November 19, 2022
6
Arts & Culture, Science Fiction

Last time, we began discussing The Orville, Season Three, Episode 5, A Tale of Two Topas. I mentioned that the episode was an allegory for children undergoing gender reassignment surgery. I suspected that they were affirming this practice because of the political nomenclature they used. However, it’s possible they weren’t. The fact that Topa was transitioned from a female to a male as an infant and now wishes to return to her original state suggests the very opposite of what the transgender movement claims. In this article, I shall discuss the subsequent plot and let the reader decide. I want to start out by saying the writing of this episode is far superior to the preceding ones. I hesitate to Read More ›

evil-robot-glowing-lights-shiny-metalic-parts-stockpack-adobe-stock
Evil robot, glowing lights, shiny metalic parts
Type
post
Author
News
Date
November 19, 2022
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind
Tagged
, , , , , ,

So, Can a Computer Really Be Irrational?

Computer prof Robert J. Marks tells Wesley J. Smith: No, and here’s why … from his experience
News
November 19, 2022
4
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

In a recent episode at Mind Matters News podcasting, “Can a computer be a person?” (November 10, 2022), Robert J. Marks and Wesley J. Smith discussed that in connection with Marks’s new book, Non-Computable You: https://mindmatters.ai/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/Mind-Matters-212-Robert-Marks.mp3 Some excerpts: Wesley J. Smith: Let me ask the question in a different way. Can an AI ever be irrational? Robert J. Marks: Yes. Irrational in the sense of being irrational from the point of an observer. A classic example, and this happened a number of years ago, was that the Soviets during the Cold War developed a high technology to decide whether the US was being attacked by… I’m sorry, whether the Soviet Union was being attacked by the United States. And so Read More ›

bitcoin-cryptocurrency-virtual-money-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock
Bitcoin cryptocurrency, virtual money concept
Type
post
Author
Gary Smith
Date
November 16, 2022
Categorized
Economics
Tagged
, , , , , , , ,

Has the Bitcoin Supply of Greater Fools Finally Been Exhausted?

It’s a bubble fueled by babble
Gary Smith
November 16, 2022
6
Economics

The Declaration of Bitcoin’s Independence, endorsed by numerous celebrities, states that, We hold these truths to be self-evident. We have been cyclically betrayed, lied to, stolen from, extorted from, taxed, monopolized, spied on, inspected, assessed, authorized, registered, deceived, and reformed. We have been economically disarmed, disabled, held hostage, impoverished, enervated, exhausted, and enslaved. And then there was bitcoin. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are, in reality, not useful alternatives to cash, checking accounts, debit cards, credit cards, and the other components of the financial system that powers the economies of developed countries. Blockchain technology is slow, expensive, and environmentally unfriendly. In 2021, Cambridge University researchers estimated that bitcoin blockchains consume as much electricity as the entire country of Argentina, with only Read More ›

COSM2022-Wed-174A9593-blockchain-panel-robinson
Type
post
Author
News
Date
November 16, 2022
Categorized
Cryptocurrency
Tagged
, , , , , , , , ,

Could Crypto Be a Safe National Currency?

At COSM a panel of experts debated the future of crypto
News
November 16, 2022
5
Cryptocurrency

A panel moderated by blockchain expert Sam Yilmaz COO of Bloccelerate last week at COSM debated whether cryptocurrency could be a national currency. It’s a risk but then many current currencies are. From Wyatt Robinson — Principal Corporate Counsel, Microsoft: The whole premise behind blockchain as I understand it from my view as a former financial services attorney, is really to promote efficiency free up capital allow more money to be out there for end users to have in their pockets. And so when we think about what should we put on chain, what activities should be going on chain at the end of the day, think about the stakeholders, the users who are involved in that transaction or are Read More ›

engineers-gloved-hand-is-holding-the-cpu-chip-on-the-background-of-the-motherboard-high-tech-hardware-microelectronics-stockpack-adobe-stock
Engineer's gloved hand is holding the CPU chip on the background of the motherboard. High-tech hardware microelectronics
Type
post
Author
Casey Luskin
Date
November 15, 2022
Categorized
Chemistry
Tagged
, , , , , ,

Big Innovations Can Depend on Really Little Things

Stuff that is far too small to see can change the world
Casey Luskin
November 15, 2022
4
Chemistry

The opening panel on Thursday morning at COSM 2022 was “The New Nanocosm.” — the world of really small things like molecules. The first panelist to speak was Chris Harrison, CEO of CTEC (“Clean Thermodynamic Energy Conversion”) Energy, a British company which seeks to convert industrial waste into energy. Its basic premise is that there is “an incredible amount of excess heat that was coming off engines and going into the atmosphere,” and this heat could be converted into usable work. The company takes waste materials — Harrison cited municipal solid waste, medical waste, chemical waste, hazardous waste — and uses it to generate electricity. The remaining waste can also be re-purposed. The conversion process yields a “fine ash” which Read More ›

summer-meadow-blow-balls-landscape-painting-stockpack-adobe-stock
Summer meadow blow balls landscape painting
Type
post
Author
Casey Luskin
Date
November 14, 2022
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Natural Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind
Tagged
, , , , ,

Could AI ever pass the Van Gogh test?

Van Gogh was crazy but he was talented and AI can be neither
Casey Luskin
November 14, 2022
6
Artificial Intelligence, Natural Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

The Van Gogh Test for sheer creativity? Thursday night at COSM presented a live, in-person interview with Federico Faggin, the Italian physicist and computer engineer who co-won the prestigious Kyoto prize in 1997 for helping develop the Intel 4004 chip. Faggin was interviewed by technology reporter Maria Teresa Cometto, who asked him to regale the audience with tales about helping to design early microchips. Eventually Faggin recounted a time when he was “studying neuroscience and biology, trying to understand how the brain works,” and came upon a startling realization: And at one point I asked myself, “But wait a second, I mean these books, all this talk about electrical signals, biochemical signals, but when I taste some chocolate, I mean Read More ›