Artificial intelligence (AI) systems have long drawn inspiration from the intricacies of the human brain. Now, a groundbreaking branch of research led by Columbia University in New York seeks to unravel the workings of living brains and enhance their function by leveraging advancements in AI.
Designated by the National Science Foundation as one of seven universities serving as the headquarters for a new national AI research institute, Columbia University received a substantial $20 million grant to bolster the AI Institute for Artificial and Natural Intelligence (ARNI). ARNI is a consortium comprising educational institutions and research groups, with Columbia at the helm. The overarching goal of ARNI is to forge connections between the remarkable progress achieved in AI systems and the ongoing revolution in our understanding of the brain.
Richard Zemel, a professor of computer science at Columbia, explained that the aim is to foster a cross-disciplinary collaboration between leading AI and neuroscience researchers, yielding mutual benefits for AI systems and human beings alike. Zemel emphasized that the exchange of knowledge flows in both directions, with AI systems drawing inspiration from the brain while neural networks in turn bear loose resemblances to its structure.
Musk criticized Twitter’s safety and content moderation team’s handling of tweets about a documentary called “What is a Woman?” (Ludovic Marin/Pool?AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
In confirming her resignation, Ella Irwin wrote, “So one or two people noticed that I left Twitter yesterday. I know there’s been a lot of speculation regarding what happened. Was I fired? Did I quit?”
She added, “I did resign but this has been a once in a lifetime experience and I’m so thankful to have worked with this amazing team of passionate, creative and hardworking people. Will be cheering you all and Twitter as you go!”
AI is everywhere. Its use is being debated in headlines, on social media and around dinner tables. To some, the rate of AI acceleration is concerning, with many technology leaders calling for a six-month pause in the training of new systems to better understand the impact such tools are having. To others, AI is seen as the cornerstone of the fourth industrial revolution, the latest disruptive technology opening up possibilities for new ways of learning, working and living that we have never experienced before.
Yet, disruptive technologies are nothing new. They have been changing the way we live and work for decades. And these changes have not been without consequences, particularly in the form of economic dislocation and social upheaval. Automation in manufacturing has streamlined mass production and driven down costs; Ecommerce platforms have reshaped the way we shop and do business; even online education has found new ways to provide flexible and affordable ways of learning, delivering opportunities to millions across the globe that simply were not available before.
Presently, much of the discussion around the impact of AI is based on conjecture. However, it is widely agreed that it will have a major impact on jobs and even has the potential to call into question the very fundamentals of what work is. What is not understood is how AI will play out across society in the longer term. Will it, like previous technological revolutions, deliver short-term disruptions followed by long-term benefits, or will it be the catalyst for new ways of learning and upskilling and help reduce the widening digital divide?
Joscha Bach is a cognitive scientist focusing on cognitive architectures, consciousness, models of mental representation, emotion, motivation and sociality.
0:00:00 Introduction. 0:00:17 Bach’s work ethic / daily routine. 0:01:35 What is your definition of truth? 0:04:41 Nature’s substratum is a “quantum graph”? 0:06:25 Mathematics as the descriptor of all language. 0:13:52 Why is constructivist mathematics “real”? What’s the definition of “real”? 0:17:06 What does it mean to “exist”? Does “pi” exist? 0:20:14 The mystery of something vs. nothing. Existence is the default. 0:21:11 Bach’s model vs. the multiverse. 0:26:51 Is the universe deterministic. 0:28:23 What determines the initial conditions, as well as the rules? 0:30:55 What is time? Is time fundamental? 0:34:21 What’s the optimal algorithm for finding truth? 0:40:40 Are the fundamental laws of physics ultimately “simple”? 0:50:17 The relationship between art and the artist’s cost function. 0:54:02 Ideas are stories, being directed by intuitions. 0:58:00 Society has a minimal role in training your intuitions. 0:59:24 Why does art benefit from a repressive government? 1:04:01 A market case for civil rights. 1:06:40 Fascism vs communism. 1:10:50 Bach’s “control / attention / reflective recall” model. 1:13:32 What’s more fundamental… Consciousness or attention? 1:16:02 The Chinese Room Experiment. 1:25:22 Is understanding predicated on consciousness? 1:26:22 Integrated Information Theory of consciousness (IIT) 1:30:15 Donald Hoffman’s theory of consciousness. 1:32:40 Douglas Hofstadter’s “strange loop” theory of consciousness. 1:34:10 Holonomic Brain theory of consciousness. 1:34:42 Daniel Dennett’s theory of consciousness. 1:36:57 Sensorimotor theory of consciousness (embodied cognition) 1:44:39 What is intelligence? 1:45:08 Intelligence vs. consciousness. 1:46:36 Where does Free Will come into play, in Bach’s model? 1:48:46 The opposite of free will can lead to, or feel like, addiction. 1:51:48 Changing your identity to effectively live forever. 1:59:13 Depersonalization disorder as a result of conceiving of your “self” as illusory. 2:02:25 Dealing with a fear of loss of control. 2:05:00 What about heart and conscience? 2:07:28 How to test / falsify Bach’s model of consciousness. 2:13:46 How has Bach’s model changed in the past few years? 2:14:41 Why Bach doesn’t practice Lucid Dreaming anymore. 2:15:33 Dreams and GAN’s (a machine learning framework) 2:18:08 If dreams are for helping us learn, why don’t we consciously remember our dreams. 2:19:58 Are dreams “real”? Is all of reality a dream? 2:20:39 How do you practically change your experience to be most positive / helpful? 2:23:56 What’s more important than survival? What’s worth dying for? 2:28:27 Bach’s identity. 2:29:44 Is there anything objectively wrong with hating humanity? 2:30:31 Practical Platonism. 2:33:00 What “God” is. 2:36:24 Gods are as real as you, Bach claims. 2:37:44 What “prayer” is, and why it works. 2:41:06 Our society has lost its future and thus our culture. 2:43:24 What does Bach disagree with Jordan Peterson about? 2:47:16 The millennials are the first generation that’s authoritarian since WW2 2:48:31 Bach’s views on the “social justice” movement. 2:51:29 Universal Basic Income as an answer to social inequality, or General Artificial Intelligence? 2:57:39 Nested hierarchy of “I“s (the conflicts within ourselves) 2:59:22 In the USA, innovation is “cheating” (for the most part) 3:02:27 Activists are usually operating on false information. 3:03:04 Bach’s Marxist roots and lessons to his former self. 3:08:45 BONUS BIT: On societies problems.
Subscribe if you want more conversations on Theories of Everything, Consciousness, Free Will, God, and the mathematics / physics of each.
Currently, there is a public surge of interest in AI topics, especially in Large Language Models, like ChatGPT. This is not a random development.
AI is here to stay and will have huge social and economic implications, seen as both a blessing and a curse. In view of its potential dangers, many AI scientists have expressed concern over AI developments that border on technophobia. But there is a means of defending ourselves from the dark side of AI as expressed in dystopian science fiction.
Taken from the UK Column. AI is closer than you think, Dr Graham Downing. talks about how they want to upload our minds to. a network by injecting a mesh between the skull and the brain. They are already testing this on rats.
Virtual reality goggles damage the mind, especially young minds. But are starting to be pushed onto children at schools.
A perovskite-based device that combines aspects of electronics and photonics may open doors to new kinds of computer chips or quantum qubits.
MIT
MIT is an acronym for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is a prestigious private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts that was founded in 1861. It is organized into five Schools: architecture and planning; engineering; humanities, arts, and social sciences; management; and science. MIT’s impact includes many scientific breakthroughs and technological advances. Their stated goal is to make a better world through education, research, and innovation.
In this interview conducted at Pittcon 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, we spoke to Dr. Jeffrey Dick about his work studying the chemistry of small volumes and nano-electrochemical tools.
What is your background, and what first attracted you to this field?
My name is Jeffrey Dick, and I grew up in Muncie, Indiana. I studied chemistry at Ball State University and fell in love with research and education.
ChatGPT has been a topic of great discussion in academia, particularly about how to prevent its unauthorized use in classes. However, students can benefit from understanding how to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to save time and improve performance on writing assignments.
Craig Hurwitz, an Executive in Residence in the Pratt School of Engineering, asked the graduate students in his “Emerging Trends in Financial Technology (Fintech)” course to generate a first draft of an essay with ChatGPT’s help. His working assumption was that when students enter the workforce they will have access to, and the ability to use, generative AI for productivity purposes. He wanted to experiment with ChatGPT in his course to give students a first-hand look at how to use generative AI.
For the assignment, the class was instructed to read a case study and each student chose a Fintech approach to help solve a particular challenge mentioned in the case. Their written assignment was a 750-word Executive Summary convincing the instructor (playing the role of Venture Capitalist) why he should consider meeting to discuss a potential investment.
Billionaire Elon Musk took a dig at fellow billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates over his knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI). He insisted that Mr. Gates has a “limited” understanding of AI.
This was in response to a tweet by Sandy Kory, who praised the leadership of Mr. Gates at Microsoft and his approach toward AI. “‘I’d been meeting with the team from OpenAI since 2016…” –from Bill Gates’ essay, The Age of AI Has Begun. It’s big when someone like Gates is so bullish on AI. Also notable that MSFT has been tracking this so closely for so long,” he said.
Mr. Kory was referring to a long, 3,639-word essay the billionaire wrote on his blog titled “The Age of A.I. Has Begun”. He wrote about how humanity was waiting for another great revolution. Mr. Gates discussed the potential impact of AI on employment, health care, and education.
