How to build an A.I. brain that can conceive of itself | Joscha Bach | Big Think

TL;DR

Building truly intelligent and self-aware systems with motivations and learning capabilities is a complex and uncertain task.

Transcript

If you look at our current technological systems they are obviously nowhere near where our minds are. They are very different. And one of the biggest questions for me is: What’s the difference between where we are now and where we need to be if we want to build minds—If we want to build systems that are generally intelligent and self-motivated and ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤳 Building truly intelligent and self-aware systems necessitates modeling arbitrary things and possessing distinct motivations.
• 🍂 Current technology falls short in terms of general learning architecture and complex programming tasks.
• 🤯 The complexity of the human mind is not necessarily indicative of the complexity required for artificial intelligence.
• 🏛️ The self-organizing nature of the brain suggests that building intelligent systems might be simpler than building complicated machines.
• 👨‍🔬 Extensive research is still needed to bridge the gap between current technology and generally intelligent systems.
• 🖐️ Motivations play a vital role in shaping cognition, attention, and behavior.
• 🧠 The human genome, despite its relative brevity, is responsible for the intricate structure and functioning of the brain.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the main obstacle in building generally intelligent and self-aware systems?

The main obstacle is the lack of knowledge and understanding of how to create systems that can model arbitrary things, possess distinct motivations, and exhibit self-awareness.

Q: How do our motivations shape our cognition and behavior?

Our motivations determine where we allocate our attention, what we learn, and how we interact with the world. They play a crucial role in shaping our cognitive processes and consciousness.

Q: Can current technology learn and create new algorithms or programming code?

While current technology can perform basic programming tasks, it falls short in terms of creating new algorithms and complex code. Extending existing systems to match human capabilities requires extensive research and development.

Q: Is building intelligent systems a daunting task that will take a long time?

While some argue that building intelligent systems will require replicating the complexity of the human mind, there is also optimism that the process may not be as daunting as believed. The self-organizing nature of the brain, combined with the relative simplicity of the human genome, suggests that building intelligent systems might be simpler than anticipated.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Current technological systems are far from being on par with the complexity and capabilities of the human mind.

• The difference between our current technology and building truly intelligent systems lies in the ability to model arbitrary things, possess distinct motivations, and have the capacity for self-awareness.

• The challenge lies in developing a general learning architecture combined with a robust motivational system, which we have not yet achieved.