[ExI] The digital nature of brains (was: digital simulations)

[Stathis Papaioannou]

2010/2/1 Gordon Swobe <gts_2000 at yahoo.com>:

>> He is the whole system, but his intelligence is only a
>> small and inessential part of the system, as it could easily
>> be replaced by dumber components.
>
> Show me who or what has conscious understanding of the symbols.

The intelligence created by the system has understanding.

>> It's irrelevant that the man doesn't really
>> understand what he is doing. The ensemble of neurons doesn't
>> understand what it's doing either, and they are the whole system too.
>
> I have no objection to your saying that neither the system nor anything contained in it has conscious understanding, but in that case you need to understand that you don't disagree with me; you don't believe in strong AI any more than I do.

The system has understanding, but no part of the system either
separately or taken as an ensemble has understanding.

I've tried to explain this giving several variations on the CRA, none
of which you have directly responded to, so here they are again:

Suppose that each neuron has sufficient intelligence intelligence for
it to know how to do its job. No neuron understands language, but the
person does. There are many tiny specialised intelligences and one
large general intelligence, and the two don't communicate. This is
analogous to the extended CR.

Suppose that the neurons are connected as one entity with sufficient
intelligence to know when to make its constituent parts fire. This
entity doesn't understand language, but the person does. There are two
intelligences, one specialised and one general, and the two don't
communicate. This is analogous to the CR.

Suppose there are several men in the extended CR all doing their bit
manipulating symbols. The men don't understand language, but the
entity created by the system does. There are several small specialised
intelligences (their general intelligence is not put to use) and one
large general intelligence, and the two don't communicate. This is
analogous to a normal brain.


-- 
Stathis Papaioannou