Sorry to get your hopes up but I was being facetious and provocative. Instead of a glass jar, our horse's brain is going to live inside of a computer simulation. Nonetheless, I think my argument still holds true.
Neuroscientists scoff at the thought of whole brain simulation. They're incredulous and as a result they're unambitious. They want it but they know they can't have it; they've got sour grapes. Despite these bad vibes, they have been working diligently and I think we're not too far off from making simulations which are genuinely useful.
On a wacky si...
Your introduction describes how I feel about my area of expertise too!
Working in the field of *neuroscience* is a bizarre experience. No one seems to be interested in the most interesting applications of their research. Neuroscience has significantly advanced in the past few decades. I keep telling people that soon we're all going to have self driving cars powerd by a horse's brain in a glass jar. Most people just laugh in disbelief, others make frightened noises and mention "ethical issues" or change the subject. The smart money is off chasing the deep learning pipe dream, and as a direct consequence, there is low-hanging fruit absolutely everywhere.
Great stuff!
To expand on a few points:
Meow Meow,
I'd like to introduce myself. My name is David and I am an AGI enthusiast. My goal is to reverse engineer the brain in order to create AGI and to this end I've spent years studying neuroscience. I look forward to talking with you all about neuroscience and AGI.
Now I must admit: I disagree with this community's prevailing opinions on the topic of AI-Doom. New technology is almost always "a good thing". I think we all daydream about AGI, but whereas your fantasies may be dark and grim, mine are bright and utopian.
I'm also optimistic about my abilit...
Forget about the model's weights, the revolution will be published in an academic journal. The underlying principles of AGI are going to be talked about, even if the exact methods are secret. As a scientist, to discover something important and then carry it to the grave is an absurd proposition. That is not asking people for discretion or secrecy, that is asking them for their resignation and early permanent retirement.
The nuclear bomb industry is in a similar state: we all know the basic science but we dont publish schematics! This minor omission from the... (read more)