Philosophy

Question 1

What are some philosophical questions about AI?

Answer 1

• Can machines be intelligent?
• How do minds work?
• How can we determine if an entity is intelligent or has a mind?
• What does it mean for society to have AI?

They relate to the nature of intelligence and consciousness in machines.

Question 2

What are some indicators that may suggest a machine is intelligent?

Answer 2

• Performs tasks that require intelligence
• Behaves + Communicates + Looks like a human

Question 3

What is the Turing Test?

Answer 3

It was proposed by Alan Turing as a way to evaluate (a machine’s ability to show) intelligent behaviour.

Question 4

What is the basic idea behind the Turing Test?

Answer 4

Intelligence can be assessed by a machine’s ability to imitate human conversation.

By comparing machines to undeniably intelligent beings (humans), it avoids a long list of prerequisites for intelligence

Question 5

What is the Loebner Competition?

Answer 5

• A competition where humans and humans converse about a specific topic
• Judges rank them from ‘most likely to be human’ to ‘least likely to be human’

A modern version of the Turing Test, aims to evaluate conversational AI.

Question 6

What does CAPTCHA stand for?

Answer 6

Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart

Question 7

What is Weak AI?

Answer 7

It builds agents that act rationally and can accomplish specific tasks (e.g., chess), but are not universally intelligent

Question 8

What is the Physical Symbol Systems Hypothesis?

Answer 8

A hypothesis stating that a physical symbol system has the necessary and sufficient means for intelligent action

Foundational in discussions about Strong AI (able to perform any intellectual task a human can)

Question 9

What is a Grandmother Cell?

Answer 9

A hypothetical neuron that fires every time you see your grandmother (specific neurons are responsible for recognising objects)

Question 10

What are the two types of representation in the context of the Grandmother Cell?

Answer 10

• Sparse representation (one or few neurons responsible for recognition)
• Distributed representation (activation pattern of a large number of neurons)

This distinction is important in neuroscience and AI discussions.

Question 11

What was the significance of the 2005 study published in ‘Nature’ regarding Pamela Anderson Cells?

Answer 11

Supported the idea of specific neurons being linked to the recognition of particular objects or individuals.

A specific neuron responded to various representations of Pamela Anderson (picture, written name)

Question 12

List the first two objections to Strong AI formulated by Turing.

Answer 12

• Theological objection (thinking is part of humans’ souls)
• Head-in-the-sand objection (terrible consequences of thinking machines)

Turing addressed these objections to argue for the potential of intelligent machines.

Question 13

What is the Mathematical Objection in the context of Strong AI?

Answer 13

Machines, as formal systems, can’t prove certain truths that a human mind can (s. Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem)

Question 14

What is the Consciousness Objection?

Answer 14

If it can’t create art from genuine emotions & thought, a machine can’t be considered equivalent to a brain.

Question 15

What is the primary claim of the objections from various disabilities?

Answer 15

Machines will never be able to perform tasks that require human-like qualities.

e.g., love, be kind, be self-aware

Question 16

What is Turing’s response to the objections from various disabilities?

Answer 16

These problems need to be investigated thoroughly, and there is no particular reason why they could not be solved.

Question 17

What did Lady Lovelace argue about machines?

Answer 17

Machines can only do what they are programmed to do.

Question 18

What is Turing’s counterargument to Lady Lovelace’s objection?

Answer 18

Machines can surprise us, especially when the consequences of different facts are not immediately recognizable.

Question 19

What is the argument regarding the continuity of the nervous system?

Answer 19

It isn’t a discrete-state machine, so it can’t be modeled by a computer.

Question 20

How does Turing respond to the argument about the nervous system?

Answer 20

It can be approximated well enough, although this is still heavily debated.

Question 21

What is the argument from informality of behavior?

Answer 21

It posits that human behavior is too complex and informal to be captured by a set of rules or programs.

If people had a definite set of rules for conduct, they would be no better than machines.

Question 22

What is Turing’s rebuttal to the informality of behavior argument?

Answer 22

Determinism possibly lies deeper, at least we follow the laws of physics.

Question 23

What does Turing suggest about extra-sensory perception in AI?

Answer 23

He suggests a telepathy-proof room to prevent judges from distinguishing based on ESP.

Question 24

What was Herbert Simon’s prediction regarding AI (1958)?

Answer 24

Within ten years, a digital computer will be the world’s chess champion.

Question 25

What was Hubert Dreyfus's stance on AI in 1972?

Answer 25

Human intelligence is more than manipulation of symbols.

Question 26

What does John Searle's 'Chinese Room' thought experiment aim to demonstrate?

Answer 26

It argues that machines can't **truly** understand language, thereby defeating the idea of Strong AI.

Question 27

What does the Chinese Room demonstrate about the Turing Test?

Answer 27

That passing the Turing Test does not equate to true understanding or intelligence.

Question 28

What is Searle's term for the difference between true intelligence and simulated intelligence?

Answer 28

Intentionality.

Question 29

What is the purpose of the Chinese Room argument?

Answer 29

To show that the Turing test is inadequate to test for intelligence and to debunk claims of Strong AI.

Question 30

What is the Systems reply to Searle's argument?

Answer 30

The entire system, including the room, understands Chinese.

Question 31

What is Searle's response to the Systems reply?

Answer 31

The human could memorize the rules and still not understand Chinese.

Question 32

What is the Robot reply to Searle's argument?

Answer 32

Adding sensory inputs would relate symbols to objects in the real world (symbol grounding).

Question 33

What is Searle's critique of the robot reply?

Answer 33

There are still no intentional states; the robot does not have understanding.

Question 34

What does the Brain Simulator reply propose?

Answer 34

Simulating the neuron firings of a native Chinese speaker.

Question 35

What is Searle's response to the brain simulator reply?

Answer 35

That it concedes that Strong AI is not possible (neither operator nor simulation understand Chinese).

Question 36

What does the Mind-Body Problem address?

Answer 36

The relationship between mental states and brain states.

Question 37

What is dualism in philosophy?

Answer 37

Mind and matter are two different things, and mental phenomena are non-physical.

Question 38

What is materialism (or monism)?

Answer 38

Mental states are brain states.

Question 39

What is the Brain-in-a-Vat argument?

Answer 39

A thought experiment questioning whether a brain can still function and be conscious if removed from a body.

Question 40

What does the Brain-Prosthesis Experiment illustrate?

Answer 40

It questions whether someone can still be self-conscious after having their brain replaced with circuitry.

Question 41

What did Garry Kasparov say about AI after his match with Deep Blue?

Answer 41

He sensed a new kind of intelligence in the computer.

Question 42

What was Kasparov's perspective after losing to Deep Blue?

Answer 42

He felt the machine's win didn't prove anything significant.

Question 43

What did Alan Turing believe about the question of whether machines can think?

Answer 43

He believed it was too meaningless to deserve discussion but anticipated that society would eventually accept machines thinking.

Question 44

Fill in the blank: Turing's original question was 'Can machines _______?'

Answer 44

think.

Question 45

True or False: Searle believes that machines can have understanding.

Answer 45

True. ## Footnote * for biological machines like human brains

Question 46

What did Turing want to demonstrate with his test?

Answer 46

Whether a machine can exhibit intelligent behavior **indistinguishable** from a human, i.e. human-like intelligence

Question 47

What is the Physical Symbol Systems Hypothesis?

Answer 47

A physical symbol system has the necessary means for intelligent action. ## Footnote This suggests that intelligence can be achieved through symbol manipulation.

Question 48

What is the Chinese Room Argument?

Answer 48

John Searle's thought experiment stating that a programmed machine can't understand language or meaning, despite appearing to do so ## Footnote This argument challenges the notion of 'understanding' in AI.

Question 49

How does the Chinese Room Argument relate to the Turing test?

Answer 49

It highlights the **gap** between **behavior** and **comprehension** (passing the test != true understanding)

Question 50

What is commonly perceived as the difference between 'Weak' and 'Strong' AI?

Answer 50

'Weak AI' refers to systems designed to perform **specific tasks**, while 'Strong AI' refers to systems that possess **genuine intelligence & consciousness**

Question 51

How does the Mind-Body Problem relate to AI?

Answer 51

The Mind-Body Problem questions the **relationship of mental and physical states**, relevant to discussions on whether machines can have minds ## Footnote This philosophical issue impacts theories of consciousness in AI.

Question 52

Do you find the Mind-Body Problem convincing?

Answer 52

Subjective opinion ## Footnote Responses may vary based on individual perspectives on consciousness and AI.

Question 53

What is the goal of Strong AI?

Answer 53

To create **universally intelligent agents** that encompass the full range of human cognitive abilities

Question 54

What is a Physical Symbol System (PSS)?

Answer 54

A concept introduced by Allen Newell and Herbert Simon that describes a **class of systems** capable of **manipulating symbols** and exhibiting **intelligent behavior**. ## Footnote They manipulate symbols and structures using operators and control mechanisms

Question 55

What does the Physical Symbol System (PSS) Hypothesis state?

Answer 55

A PSS has the necessary and sufficient means for **general intelligent action**, suggesting that properly organized physical symbol systems can exhibit **human-like intelligence**.

Question 56

How is the Turing test conducted?

Answer 56

A test where a human **judge** interacts with a **computer** and a **human**. if the judge cannot reliably distinguish between them, the computer is considered intelligent.