Author: José Carlos
Date: 16:16:29 08/06/02
Go up one level in this thread
On August 06, 2002 at 14:28:11, Miguel A. Ballicora wrote: >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 ...and might change again to that path or any other path a million times... José C. >>>>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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