Intelligence as an Intelligence as an Emergent Emergent

PhenomenonPhenomenonJ DuncanJ Duncan

Daniel Dennett’s Daniel Dennett’s Kinds Kinds of Mindsof Minds

Intelligence, from the “lowest” forms Intelligence, from the “lowest” forms to the “highest” is an emergent to the “highest” is an emergent phenomenaphenomena

Connectionism and distributed Connectionism and distributed information storage is the means by information storage is the means by which this is realizedwhich this is realized

Humans are separated only from other Humans are separated only from other animals by use of language and our animals by use of language and our ability to hypothesize about identityability to hypothesize about identity

OriginsOrigins

Earliest replicators - MacromoleculesEarliest replicators - Macromolecules Perform random walks for needsPerform random walks for needs Use chemical lock and key Use chemical lock and key

mechanismsmechanisms

““Reasons but no reason formulators, Reasons but no reason formulators, or reason representers, or even… or reason representers, or even… reason appreciators”reason appreciators”

The Need-to-Know The Need-to-Know PrinciplePrinciple

Enforced by the cost of design in Enforced by the cost of design in naturenature

““The cheapest, least intensively The cheapest, least intensively designed system will be ‘discovered’ designed system will be ‘discovered’ first by Mother Nature, and first by Mother Nature, and myopically selected.”myopically selected.”

Emergent behavior is much cheaper Emergent behavior is much cheaper than directed, efficient designthan directed, efficient design

Problems and BenefitsProblems and Benefits

ProblemsProblems Not necessarily the best or smallest Not necessarily the best or smallest

designdesign Legacy code Legacy code

Unexpected benefitsUnexpected benefits Recycling codeRecycling code Random mutations of unused materialRandom mutations of unused material

Plants and BiasPlants and Bias

Respond phenotypically to stimuli on Respond phenotypically to stimuli on evolutionary timescaleevolutionary timescale

““timescale chauvinism” / spatial bias timescale chauvinism” / spatial bias - size- size

““What is the actual role of speed in What is the actual role of speed in the phenomenon of the mind?”the phenomenon of the mind?”

Mind barrier to be crossed?Mind barrier to be crossed?

Mind Speed Mind Speed Requirements?Requirements?

Relative speedRelative speed Minimum for usefulness due to Minimum for usefulness due to

environmentenvironment Within an ecosystem, fast wins over Within an ecosystem, fast wins over

slowslow Emergent properties might also Emergent properties might also

manifest at some speed but not manifest at some speed but not belowbelow

Sentience vs. SensitivitySentience vs. Sensitivity

““mere intentional systems” vs. mere intentional systems” vs. “genuine minds”“genuine minds”

Sentience – lowest grade of Sentience – lowest grade of consciousnessconsciousness

Some missing factor?Some missing factor? Looking for “x”Looking for “x”

ProcessingProcessing

Plants – distributed processingPlants – distributed processing Animals and plants – operations Animals and plants – operations

distinct of central processingdistinct of central processing Cellular level - defensesCellular level - defenses

Biochemical -> electric impulse Biochemical -> electric impulse nervous systemnervous system

Separation of function from Separation of function from compositioncomposition

FunctionalismFunctionalism

Multiple realizationsMultiple realizations Artificial minds should be Artificial minds should be

constructible if we can isolate what constructible if we can isolate what minds dominds do Process informationProcess information

Disagreement over mediaDisagreement over media

Evolution of Evolution of TransductionTransduction

Fly by wireFly by wire Efficient – information transmission Efficient – information transmission

vs. force transmissionvs. force transmission Feedback helpsFeedback helps Time lagsTime lags

Isolate the control system – mind?Isolate the control system – mind?

Double TansductionDouble Tansduction

““Myth of Double Tansduction” – Myth of Double Tansduction” – percepts -> Information (neural percepts -> Information (neural signals) -> thought (Decartes)signals) -> thought (Decartes)

““since peripheral activity… was mere since peripheral activity… was mere sensitivity, there had to be some more sensitivity, there had to be some more central place where the sentience was central place where the sentience was created.”created.”

Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence

ConnectionismConnectionism

““The idea that the network The idea that the network itselfitself- by - by virtue of its intricate structure… virtue of its intricate structure… could assume the role of the inner could assume the role of the inner Boss and thus harbor consciousness, Boss and thus harbor consciousness, seems preposterous. Initially”seems preposterous. Initially”

Information processing ~ Information processing ~ Information storage ~ Physical Information storage ~ Physical structure of the networkstructure of the network

Bodily InformationBodily Information

““Evolution embodies information in Evolution embodies information in every part of every organism”every part of every organism”

Physical information - world Physical information - world Not necessarily found in the brainNot necessarily found in the brain Distributed storage of physical Distributed storage of physical

propertiesproperties This only takes you so far – short This only takes you so far – short

range intentionalityrange intentionality

MicroagentsMicroagents

Evolution from “proximal” systems to Evolution from “proximal” systems to “distal” systems“distal” systems

Organisms composed of “microagents, Organisms composed of “microagents, organized into dozens or hundreds or organized into dozens or hundreds or thousands of subsystems. Each of these thousands of subsystems. Each of these tiny agents can be conceived of as an tiny agents can be conceived of as an utterly minimal intentional system”utterly minimal intentional system”

Nodes in a connectionist network – Nodes in a connectionist network – “cells and groups of cells connected in “cells and groups of cells connected in networks”networks”

Tower of Generate-and-Tower of Generate-and-TestTest

Darwinian Creatures (field testing)Darwinian Creatures (field testing) Skinnerian Creatures (reinforcement Skinnerian Creatures (reinforcement

learning, NNs) – simple learning, NNs) – simple invertebrates?invertebrates?

Popperian Creatures (preselection of Popperian Creatures (preselection of actions, inner model)actions, inner model)

Gregorian Creatures (tool users and Gregorian Creatures (tool users and tool refiners)tool refiners)

Design pitfallsDesign pitfalls Top-down and bottom-up design in Top-down and bottom-up design in

Cognitive ScienceCognitive Science ““Working up… we tend to be Working up… we tend to be

unimpressed”unimpressed” ““Working down… we subtract Working down… we subtract

[particularly human features of our [particularly human features of our experience] as inessential.”experience] as inessential.”

““We may tend to overlook…the We may tend to overlook…the possibility that we are subtracting, on possibility that we are subtracting, on one path, the very thing we are seeking one path, the very thing we are seeking on the other.”on the other.”

No Distinction?No Distinction?

““A conservative hypothesis: ‘Sentience’ A conservative hypothesis: ‘Sentience’ comes in every imaginable grade or comes in every imaginable grade or intensity, from the simplest and most intensity, from the simplest and most ‘robotic’, to the most exquisitely sensitive, ‘robotic’, to the most exquisitely sensitive, hyper-reactive ‘human’.”hyper-reactive ‘human’.”

Tool useTool use ““Among the preeminent tools, Gregory Among the preeminent tools, Gregory

reminds us, are what he calls mind tools: reminds us, are what he calls mind tools: words”words”

As-if Decision MakingAs-if Decision Making

Systems of perception – non-Boolean Systems of perception – non-Boolean circuitscircuits

Braitenberg’s vehiclesBraitenberg’s vehicles ““By installing dozens or hundreds or By installing dozens or hundreds or

thousands of such circuits in a single thousands of such circuits in a single organism, elaborate life-protecting activities organism, elaborate life-protecting activities can be reliably controlled, all without can be reliably controlled, all without anything happening inside the organism anything happening inside the organism that looks like that looks like thinking specific thoughtsthinking specific thoughts. . There is plenty of There is plenty of as ifas if decision making” decision making”

What is unique about What is unique about humans?humans?

““The capacity we have to frame, and The capacity we have to frame, and even under most circumstances test, even under most circumstances test, hypotheses about identity”hypotheses about identity”

““it… takes a Gregorian creature who it… takes a Gregorian creature who has language among its mind tools. has language among its mind tools. But in order to use language, we But in order to use language, we have to be specially equipped with have to be specially equipped with the talents that permit us to extract the talents that permit us to extract these mind tools from the social these mind tools from the social environment in which they reside.”environment in which they reside.”

DiscussionDiscussion