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This is spot on, and something I have thought for a long time without the time or ability to elucidate it so clearly. The complexity of the human brain is not

This is spot on, and something I have thought for a long time without the time or ability to elucidate it so clearly. The complexity of the human brain is not just difficult, not just complicated or hard to understand, it is several orders of magnitude beyond our ability to comprehend. IMHO we will need a fundamental leap in our own intelligence before we have the means to comprehend even how the brain works, and one more leap to understand how we might reproduce its behavior. It's a long way off. People who believe otherwise are doing just that—believing.

kordless 14y ago
The bits about the brain using quantum computing are only theories. TMK there isn't any evidence of these theories being true or false. I would hesitate to use the term 'spot on' when discussing something we know so little about. What we do know is that by 2030, a standard CPU will be doing somewhere in the neighborhood of 10^19 computations per kw/hr. That capability, presumably on a single chip, will rival or exceed the brain's computational ability, perhaps by an order or two of magnitude. What we do with that horsepower is up to us coders. Maybe we'll code up a brain. Maybe we'll figure out how to sell you soap faster.
- Strshps1MoreTim 14y ago
  Uff, 1st theory =/= hypothesis, 2nd if the brain quantum computation in microtubules is true, 10^19 computations per kw/hr is not going to be nearly enough.
abraininavat 14y ago
What do you mean by "comprehend"? What do you say to the idea that we might -- rather than build an AI piece by piece and thought by thought, a project I agree is several orders of magnitude beyond our ability to comprehend -- instead "grow" an AI by putting together evolutionary computation and enough processing power to eventually converge on something we would understand as "intelligence"? The extent of such an intelligence wouldn't be fully understood by us, or itself for that matter, but what of it? Our intelligence evolved without anyone understanding it.

kordless 14y ago

The bits about the brain using quantum computing are only theories. TMK there isn't any evidence of these theories being true or false. I would hesitate to use the term 'spot on' when discussing something we know so little about. What we do know is that by 2030, a standard CPU will be doing somewhere in the neighborhood of 10^19 computations per kw/hr. That capability, presumably on a single chip, will rival or exceed the brain's computational ability, perhaps by an order or two of magnitude. What we do with that horsepower is up to us coders. Maybe we'll code up a brain. Maybe we'll figure out how to sell you soap faster.

Strshps1MoreTim 14y ago
Uff, 1st theory =/= hypothesis, 2nd if the brain quantum computation in microtubules is true, 10^19 computations per kw/hr is not going to be nearly enough.

abraininavat 14y ago

What do you mean by "comprehend"? What do you say to the idea that we might -- rather than build an AI piece by piece and thought by thought, a project I agree is several orders of magnitude beyond our ability to comprehend -- instead "grow" an AI by putting together evolutionary computation and enough processing power to eventually converge on something we would understand as "intelligence"? The extent of such an intelligence wouldn't be fully understood by us, or itself for that matter, but what of it? Our intelligence evolved without anyone understanding it.