Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!merch!cpe!hal6000!trsvax!don
From: don@trsvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: <7749@klaatu.rutgers.edu>
Message-ID: <193600003@trsvax>
Date: 5 Dec 88 15:06:00 GMT
References: <9038@klaatu.rutgers.edu>
Lines: 56
Nf-ID: #R:klaatu.rutgers.edu:9038:trsvax:193600003:000:2282
Nf-From: trsvax.UUCP!don    Dec  5 09:06:00 1988


>    >  Intelligence is the capacity to do actions, make statements,
>    >  exercise judgement, believe knowledge, and pay attention.
>    >--JoSH
>
>    To which Don Subt replies,
>       " ...my computer can do [such] actions... "
>
>    To which Josh replies,
>    >I claim that ... you are using metaphor[s] rather than actually
>    >using the words in the basic senses I (and Webster) meant them.
>
>...To which Mark replied,
>    *You* are using words erroneously,... 

>...To which Josh replies:
>... If you were more concerned with "discussing
>these matters" and less with mindless repartee, you might have
>observed that there is an element of truth on both sides.
>
>You might have seen that the difference between the two
>interpretations has a lot to say about the nature of what
>we call "intelligence".  Is it the degree of interconnectedness
>between the simple mechanical operations that distinguishes
>knowledge from data storage, judgement from "if (i>3)"?
>
>To which Mark replies:
>
>Back to the subject.  Until these terms are better defined, 
>one can be perfectly justified in claiming that they apply to current 
>computers.  Perhaps this is acceptable; if not, then the definition
>needs revision, since obviously from one perspective the application
>to computers is (although tongue firmly planted in cheek) not so
>far-fetched.  I'm looking forward to any sound and complete defintions
>of:		KNOWLEDGE, BELIEF, INTUITION, INDUCTION, 
>		IMAGINATION, INTELLIGENCE.
>believe me.

Well, I think this is finally getting back to my point.  Our definitions are
not complete.  My original response was showing that the definition given
for intelligence was not reasonable and was given in terms of concepts which
are understood for humans, but which are vague and open to interpretation
when applied to computers.  I am sorry if my original comments were too vague 
and led to a flaming contest.

Perhaps more insight would result if we could somehow come up with new words
for machine intelligence which avoided comparisons with human intelligence.
Just a thought.

% make me stop
don't know how to make me.  Stop.

Don Subt			The opinions expressed above are
Tandy Corp.			strictly mine, not my employer's.

817-390-3068			...!killer!ninja!sys1!trsvax!don