What is Intelligence?

This page heads up a discussion of intelligence whose role is to assist in throwing out bath water. It is my attempt to cut down the problem of Artificial Intelligence, stripping out any parts which may be inessential, and seeking the simplest kinds of intelligence to automate.

Why AI is Hard First I propose to give some attention to reasons why the problem of engineering intelligence is a difficult one to solve, introducing the "intelligence as hologram" analogy.

Cutting out Inessential Capability Then the idea that Aritificial Intelligence is the simulation of the human brain is taken as a starting point for a process of whittling down. In this process aspects of the function of the human brain are considered and speculations are made about which of these could be dispensed (in the manner of bath water) with without our losing hope that intelligence will remain (in the manner of the baby).

Delivering Capability without Intelligence A third process is then entered into, in which we consider the core capabilities required for our artificial intelligence and see how best to deliver these without solving the problem of Artificial Intelligence.

© created 1996/4/10 modified 1997/1/7