4 ms·

It's machine learning. It's not AI. Please, all, let's try hard to use words that mean what they mean.

blixt 8y ago
I think that ship has sailed. The term "AI" for any behavior by a machine that changes based on input has been in use for at least over 60 years now. Whether it's the ghosts in Pacman, or a disembodied voice that tells you the weather and plays music when you ask it to.
- MarkMMullin 8y ago
  We should do our best to get it back into port - part of the whole mess is that the name AI implies things about ML systems that simply aren't true - as a side note, we should also probably start using the word tensor more accurately, we've now enraged enough physics and math folks :-)
  - blixt 8y ago
    The entire English dictionary has evolved into its current state, and there's several words that used to have the opposite meaning just from stubborn ironic use by the masses. As much as I like to be correct about my use of words, I think AI has established itself as a term that will stick around for now. Besides, I really don't think all the stigma comes from the term "artificial intelligence". You don't have to ever mention the term to a child interacting with Alexa, they will nevertheless greatly overestimate "her" ability. I think because of the anthropomorphic nature of their interactions, and the black box implementation that prevents you from knowing the boundaries of what is possible. This something that video game characters have played on since their conception, to make humans imagine much more complex intents and thoughts behind their "stupid" hard coded behaviors. I'm okay with calling it AI even if it's not even close to on par with human intelligence. :)
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
  - sullyj3 8y ago
    How is the word tensor misused? I thought it was just an n-dimensional array of numbers?
    - chas 8y ago
      Similar to how linear transforms can be represented as 2-dimensional arrays of numbers (that is to say matrices)[0], tensors are a higher dimensional analogue with a rich theory in their own right and a representation as higher-dimensional arrays of numbers. Similarly, if you look at a tensor solely as an n-dimensional array of numbers, it ignores important differences in the mathematical behavior of objects with the same representation. To give an example: Different parts of a tensor can behave differently under change of basis. [1] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYB8IZa5AuE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYB8IZa5AuE [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covariance_and_contravariance_of_vectors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covariance_and_contravariance_...
      - MarkMMullin 8y ago
        I rest my case :-)
MikkoFinell 8y ago
Is AI defined as "mysterious future thinking computer"? Anything we figure out how to do seems to suddenly fall outside of the definition.
- visarga 8y ago
  It's the magically shrinking "AI of the gaps". "AI" covers only things we can't yet do in ML. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_the_gaps https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_the_gaps
  - goatlover 8y ago
    Or things involving general intelligence, like Data on Star Trek, which is what people tend to think of when the term AI is used.
    - sanxiyn 8y ago
      We can use the term AGI for things involving general intelligence.
dahart 8y ago
Some of the fun of language is the volume of usage of a name or phrase causes it to become correct.

I think that ship has sailed. The term "AI" for any behavior by a machine that changes based on input has been in use for at least over 60 years now. Whether it's the ghosts in Pacman, or a disembodied voice that tells you the weather and plays music when you ask it to.

MarkMMullin 8y ago
We should do our best to get it back into port - part of the whole mess is that the name AI implies things about ML systems that simply aren't true - as a side note, we should also probably start using the word tensor more accurately, we've now enraged enough physics and math folks :-)
- blixt 8y ago
  The entire English dictionary has evolved into its current state, and there's several words that used to have the opposite meaning just from stubborn ironic use by the masses. As much as I like to be correct about my use of words, I think AI has established itself as a term that will stick around for now. Besides, I really don't think all the stigma comes from the term "artificial intelligence". You don't have to ever mention the term to a child interacting with Alexa, they will nevertheless greatly overestimate "her" ability. I think because of the anthropomorphic nature of their interactions, and the black box implementation that prevents you from knowing the boundaries of what is possible. This something that video game characters have played on since their conception, to make humans imagine much more complex intents and thoughts behind their "stupid" hard coded behaviors. I'm okay with calling it AI even if it's not even close to on par with human intelligence. :)
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- sullyj3 8y ago
  How is the word tensor misused? I thought it was just an n-dimensional array of numbers?
  - chas 8y ago
    Similar to how linear transforms can be represented as 2-dimensional arrays of numbers (that is to say matrices)[0], tensors are a higher dimensional analogue with a rich theory in their own right and a representation as higher-dimensional arrays of numbers. Similarly, if you look at a tensor solely as an n-dimensional array of numbers, it ignores important differences in the mathematical behavior of objects with the same representation. To give an example: Different parts of a tensor can behave differently under change of basis. [1] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYB8IZa5AuE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYB8IZa5AuE [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covariance_and_contravariance_of_vectors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covariance_and_contravariance_...
    - MarkMMullin 8y ago
      I rest my case :-)

MikkoFinell 8y ago

Is AI defined as "mysterious future thinking computer"? Anything we figure out how to do seems to suddenly fall outside of the definition.

visarga 8y ago
It's the magically shrinking "AI of the gaps". "AI" covers only things we can't yet do in ML. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_the_gaps https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_the_gaps
- goatlover 8y ago
  Or things involving general intelligence, like Data on Star Trek, which is what people tend to think of when the term AI is used.
  - sanxiyn 8y ago
    We can use the term AGI for things involving general intelligence.

dahart 8y ago

Some of the fun of language is the volume of usage of a name or phrase causes it to become correct.