The secret of human thought
The secret of human thought. Insights into the reverse engineering of the brain is the German translation of Ray Kurzweil's book How to Create a Mind. The Secret of Human Thought Revealed .
In this, Kurzweil discusses the possibility of creating strong artificial intelligence , i.e. H. artificial intelligence above the level of human intelligence. According to Kurzweil, this requires reverse engineering of the human brain. Reverse engineering does not mean the artificial reproduction of a human brain in detail , but the creation of a model that can simulate all functions of the brain.
Main thesis
Kurzweil assumes that the brain, like the world it perceives and processes, is hierarchically organized. This hierarchy is reflected in the existence of the 300 million pattern recognizers in the human neocortex who serve to recognize the information patterns contained in the world. These pattern recognition processes take place on different levels characterized by a hierarchy of increasing complexity. The higher the level of complexity of a pattern, the higher the level in the hierarchy of the neocortex at which the pattern recognition process takes place. It is important that the brain only uses one algorithm for these pattern recognition processes. This allows the creation of models for the different areas of the brain, the functioning of which cannot be distinguished from that of the human brain.
This ultimately allows the creation of a model of a human brain whose output - its behavior - cannot be distinguished from that of a human. Kurzweil estimates the point in time for the creation of such powerful AI to be in the year 2029. From this point in time we will be dealing with conscious machines - at least with machines that seem to be just as conscious to us as everyone else.
In addition, these machines will be able to produce new, even smarter machines - a process that is noticeably accelerating, which leads to the so-called technological singularity , which Kurzweil dates to the year 2045. In this process people will increasingly fuse with the artificial intelligence they have created, which means that people will overcome the limits set for them by their biological body in the future in order to pass into other forms of existence.
Fundamental concepts
Pattern recognition theory of mind
Kurzweil sums up all his thoughts on the human brain, artificial intelligence and the possibility of their fusion in the concept of the pattern recognition theory of the mind. He assumes that the reality of our universe ultimately consists of information. This information is organized in patterns which in turn form a hierarchy according to their degree of complexity. This hierarchical structure is also reflected in the human brain, where 300 million pattern recognizers, which are also hierarchically ordered, are available for recording and processing these information patterns.
awareness
Consciousness as a phenomenon can only be determined heuristically, never measured objectively. Whenever we open a skull, we will not find any physical manifestation of consciousness there. Consciousness is assigned to a being in a subjective process of attribution: If a counterpart behaves consciously, I tend to ascribe consciousness - and therefore even self-confidence - to it. If a machine behaves just as consciously as a human does, we must assume that it is also conscious. Although everything speaks in favor of it, this awareness can of course still be denied, but an ever-growing part of humanity will probably start to perceive machines as conscious counterparts and to treat them accordingly. Kurzweil believes that a machine will pass the Turing test for the first time in 2029, whereupon we seriously consider the possibility of stronger, i.e. H. more conscious AI.
expenditure
- English original: Ray Kurzweil, How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed , New York: Viking Books 2012, ISBN 978-0-670-02529-9 .
- German translation: Ray Kurzweil, The Secret of Human Thought. Insights into reverse engineering of the brain , Berlin: Lola Books 2014, ISBN 978-3-944203-06-5 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ See Ray Kurzweil, The Secret of Human Thinking. Insights into reverse engineering of the brain , Berlin: Lola Books 2014, p. 39.