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Subject: Re: Computer Chess Programs & Intelligence

Author: Ricardo Gibert

Date: 03:40:35 03/14/01

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On March 14, 2001 at 05:53:07, Andrew Dados wrote:

>On March 14, 2001 at 05:35:16, Ricardo Gibert wrote:
>
>>On March 14, 2001 at 05:25:37, Andrew Dados wrote:
>>
>>>On March 14, 2001 at 03:20:07, Bruce Moreland wrote:
>>>
>>>>On March 13, 2001 at 19:06:27, HECTOR MUNOZ wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>There are some who might argue  that a computer chess program  is not a
>>>>>demonstration of intelligence  in particular, a program which uses Shannon's
>>>>>Type A  Approach. I need to present a solid argument that such a program
>>>>>does involve intelligence.
>>>>
>>>>Everyone tries to answer this question without figuring out what they mean by
>>>>"intelligence" first.
>>>>
>>>>The OED definition takes the better part of a page, and gives various usages
>>>>dating back to 1390, although some aspects of the word are extremely new.  In
>>>>particular, the use of the term "intelligence quotient" is said to date back
>>>>only to 1921, as expressed in English.  That's the part of the definition that
>>>>gets everyone tied up in knots these days.
>>>>
>>>>The first definition is "[t]he faculty of understanding; intellect."  The second
>>>>one is "[u]nderstanding as a quality of admitting of degree; spec. superior
>>>>understanding; quickness of mental apprehension, sagacity."  The others don't
>>>>seem to apply much.
>>>>
>>>>I don't think the dictionary is very helpful here.  This word seems too large
>>>>for the dictionary.  Perhaps someone has written a book or an article that gets
>>>>to the point, but failing that, I'll take a crack at it, as it relates to
>>>>computer programs.
>>>>
>>>>I believe that intelligence is displayed if a program can generalize effectively
>>>>within a sufficiently complex problem domain.  It's not enough to be able to
>>>>handle specific cases, it must be possible to be effective in a wide variety of
>>>>cases, via the use of general-purpose code.
>>>>
>>>>Chess, a game that has fascinated humans for hundreds of years in its current
>>>>form, and much longer if we allow for precursor forms, seems like it would
>>>>qualify as a sufficiently difficult domain.  Humans devote their lives to the
>>>>game and the game remains fresh and challenging.
>>>>
>>>>I believe that the current programs generalize very well.  They can play
>>>>essentially any position.  There are some that cause them problems, but there
>>>>are a great many that they play well enough to challenge a strong human when the
>>>>human plays against the program, and they can be used even by very strong humans
>>>>in order to provide insight in very difficult positions.  These positions are
>>>>rarely foreseen by the program's author, but the program is still very
>>>>effective.
>>>>
>>>>I think that intelligence is essentially the ability to effectively handle
>>>>difficult specific cases with general-purpose methods, and the chess domain,
>>>>while very specific, is rich enough that it requires the ability to generalize
>>>>in order to tackle the wide variety of practical cases a program is apt to face.
>>>>
>>>>Copyright (C) Bruce Moreland, 2001.  All rights reserved.  Permission to use all
>>>>or part of the above in a homework assignment is given only under the condition
>>>>that any quotation is accurately attributed.
>>>>
>>>>bruce
>>>
>>>I doubt chess domain is wide enough for 'generalization' here. If a program
>>>could learn Thai chess in 5 min as all chess-playing humans do I would attribute
>>>it some 'intelligence'.
>>
>>Why do they have to do as fast or play as well to be intelligent? Those are
>>standards for being "as intelligent" rather than simply being intelligent. A
>>chimp can't learn to play Thai chess, but they are still intelligent.
>
>Indeed. So let's say learn thai chess in 20 years :)
>Or create some other game.
>Or _develop_ some idea of 'beauty' or 'goal'.
>
>Somehow intelligent means 'transcendent' to me.
>
>And while chess program can play chess I would expect it to be able to play Thai
>chess, too. Or to learn that N+R vs R is dead draw after few games. Or to
>prepare against given opponent. Or study openings on its own.

"I would expect" humans could play virtually all 5-man endgames perfectly or
play sharp open positions as well as a computer, but they don't. So are humans
then not intelligent?

I don't like the idea of imposing too high a standard or making the standard
antho-centric. That to me seems like "rigging" the standard so computers will
fail to meet it.

>
>>
>>>
>>>For now traversing Shannon tree with huge speeds and evaluation function
>>>'correct' in 99,96% or so I call 'good craftsmanship'.
>>>
>>>-Andrew-



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