Speak Embedded

I’ve been reading On Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins makes the case that past and current methods of AI development have been on the wrong track for two reasons:

• 1. AI Engineers have been altogether unconcerned with the overall function of the human brain itself, which leads to
• 2. The idea of the Turing Test as the measurement of successful AI implementation is false, as intelligence should not be measured from the output, but rather the method of getting there.

I can’t comment on point number one, as I’m unfamiliar (at least in depth) with past and current trends of AI investigation. However, Mr. Hawkins is, in my opinion, correct on point number two. He gives an example that I was familiar with prior to reading this book: that of Searle’s Chinese Room.

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In a memo to Berkshire-Hathaway managers, Warren Buffett opened with a declaration:

The five most dangerous words in business may be “Everybody else is doing it.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but when the Oracle of Omaha makes statements on business, finance, and investing, I tend to listen. I also do not intend to imply that I am on par with Buffett, but when I read that sentence I said to myself, “I’ve been saying that for a while.”

Too many business decisions are made under the claim of “Everybody else is doing it.” Think about it for a minute and I bet you can come up with quite a few examples. It’s used as justification from buying advertising in vehicles that don’t work for your organization to having a show booth at a trade show. The line of reasoning that “Everybody else is doing it” isn’t just used by your organizational management to justify the purchase of these things; it’s even used by the sellers of these vehicles.

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