RE: Augmenting humans is a better way

From: James Higgins (jameshiggins@earthlink.net)
Date: Sun Jul 29 2001 - 07:25:23 MDT


At 07:38 AM 7/29/2001 -0400, Ben Goertzel wrote:

> > I know that researchers have been able to interface devices with the
> > nervous system. There is a vision system that can take a camera
> > image and
> > directly stimulates the optic nerve to produce rudimentary vision in some
> > blind people. Thus giving blind people real-time vision (albeit
> > of a very
> > low resolution currently). So we can say that their has been success in
> > neural interfaces. On the other hand, as far as I know, no one has ever
> > created a working general AI of any order. Webmind/Biomind may
> > be the most
> > advanced in that field but if I remember correctly they have
> > never run the
> > system as a whole. So I'd be tempted to say that, at the moment,
> > research
> > into neural interfaces seems further along than research into AI.
>
>I guess this is a silly debate. Both fields are at a relatively primitive
>stage, far from achieving their end goals. Is super-low-res vision closer
>to real brain-enhancement than Deep Blue and EURISKO are to real AI? Who
>was the greater President, Lincoln or Washington or FDR? Who's a cuter
>French actress, Julie Delpy or Juliette Binoche?

That's part of the point I''ve been trying to make. We all like to think
that AI will be done in some certain time frame and that it is ahead of bio
technology. But when it comes right down to it we just don't know. We're
guessing and being optimistic in our beliefs.



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