RE: AGI funding (was Re: Some bad news)

From: Ben Goertzel (ben@goertzel.org)
Date: Thu Nov 07 2002 - 09:27:17 MST


Rafal wrote:
> Ben wrote:
> >
> > I wonder if they're a good way to "personalize" peoples' connections
> > with AGI, in a similar way. We can't have each person sponsor their
> > own AGI, of course -- that will be reserved for the *really big*
> > donations ;-p
>
> ### Yes, you can - offer detailed week-by-week (or even daily) updates for
> qualifying donors. Let people feel they are close to the making of history
> (or at least an honest attempt).

This is a worthwhile idea indeed.

I think it'll be a lot more exciting, though, once someone has an AGI that
has easily observable, clearly proto-general-intelligence behaviors. Then
donors' reports would contain stuff that was immediately perceivable by the
donors as being interesting progress.

Right now, the Novamente AGI project is still in an implementation phase.
We just started coding 18 months ago, with a small team that also spends
time on related commercial coding projects. At the current (very
frustratingly slow!!) rate we may be 12-18 months away from having easily
observable, clearly proto-general0intelligence behavior. This could happen
quicker if we got some R&D funding of course.

So, right now, the daily or weekly reports to donors would consist largely
of items like

"This week, Tony Lofthouse tested HebbianLink formation in conjunction with
Evolutionary Concept Formation (ECF), and found that use of HebbianLinks in
addition to SimilarityLinks indeed enhances the efficacy of the concepts
formed by ECF ."

Not terribly gripping reading except to the insider ;=p

I do like your suggestion tho and will keep it in mind...

-- Ben



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