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CellBioGuy comments on AI origin question - Less Wrong Discussion

1 Post author: hairyfigment 01 November 2015 08:35PM

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Comment author: ChristianKl 03 November 2015 04:44:15PM 0 points [-]

If there a machine that determine that a person thinks of a red fire truck and then stimulates the neurons in the brain of another person, that's not direct. The machine is in the middle.

The machine needs an internal language in which it can model "red fire truck", be able to recognize that in Alice by looking at neuron firing pattern and then have a model of what neuron firing would likely to have the effect of something like a "red fire truck" be perceived by another person.

Given those translation issues of those two changes of represenation systems I don't see why I would call the process "direct".

Comment author: CellBioGuy 03 November 2015 08:37:06PM 0 points [-]

To be fair you could also imagine a setup without such internal interpretation, with just signal X in electrode 1 causing signal X to be disgorged in electrode 2. It would then be up to the brains on either end to learn how to modulate/interpret this new channel. People can and do learn to use such new channels all the time whenever they are provided.

Comment author: ChristianKl 03 November 2015 09:07:49PM 0 points [-]

It would then be up to the brains on either end to learn how to modulate/interpret this new channel.

I think that's still substantially about learning a new language in which to communicate and not just transmitting existing thoughts as is.