Author: Miguel A. Ballicora
Date: 11:28:11 08/06/02
Go up one level in this thread
On August 06, 2002 at 10:37:21, Robert Hyatt wrote: >On August 05, 2002 at 17:54:22, James Swafford wrote: > >>On August 05, 2002 at 11:45:28, Robert Hyatt wrote: >> >>>On August 05, 2002 at 11:10:55, Terry McCracken wrote: >>> >>>>Do computers make decisions? >>>>If so, what is your definition of a "computer decision" and how it relates and >>>>differs from human decisions? >>>> >>>>Please cite examples. This can be from chess to any area of so-called "machine >>>>intelligence", please give _your_ answers, as well as information that can be >>>>obtained on the net. >>>> >>>>Your help with these answers will be greatly appreciated! >>>> >>>>Thanks in Advance. >>>> >>>>Regards, >>>> Terry McCracken >>> >>> >>>A couple of points. >>> >>>First, _yes_ a computer makes decisions. For example, you can use an >>>external A/D converter to measure two temperatures in a steam plant and make >>>a decision as to which burner should be turned up or down based on those >>>measurements. >>> >> >> >>I disagree Bob. Decision implies choice. There is no choice; it's >>preprogrammed. When a computer can arbitrarily decide whether it wants >>to perform an action, with some level of cognition, then I will concede >>that they can make decisions. But now they are pretty stupid, despite >>what Turing tests would say. >> > > > >In that case I don't think humans make "decisions" either. It is one thing >to say "if (a) then (b) else (c)" as that is pretty simplistic. But do you >_really_ think that I took care of every possible case in the evaluation, >explicitly? Or does the program sum up a large number of factors, then make >a decision based on that summation? Which is _exactly_ what I do as a human >when I make decisions. IE I certainly didn't program in _every_ possible >chess position into Crafty. Yet it can handle any possible position you give >it and make a decision about which move to play, whether it is right or wrong >(of course). > > > >> >>>Second, does a computer make decisions like _we_ do? Impossible to say. IE >>>can you _prove_ that the human mind doesn't rely on anything other than pure >>>binary values? Nobody has to date, so that is an open question. Wouldn't it >>>be funny if we one day find out that at the elementary level, everything we do >>>is on/off? :) >> >>Ahh.. I see where you are going now. Well, you're basically asking if we're >>all preprogrammed morons that really aren't making decisions for ourselves, >>but doing what we are programmed to do. So what you're really really asking >>is if there is such a thing as fate, or predestiny. :) Nah. :)) >> > > >Not a convincing argument to me. :) > >Einstein said "nothing is random". Which means _everything_ can be computed >if you just know all the variables. :) It was just his opinion, based on his instinct. Physics did not follow that path. Miguel >>>Perhaps one of the best examples of "making a decision" is in computer chess, >>>where the computer has to choose between N moves and pick just one. That is >>>_clearly_ a decision... >> >>I don't think so. >> >>-- >>James > >Then I don't believe humans make decisions when they play chess either. After >all, you learned your "ideas" from someone...
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