[ExI] Meaningless Symbols

Ben Zaiboc bbenzai at yahoo.com
Sat Jan 9 17:41:11 UTC 2010


In 'Are We Spiritual Machines?: Ray Kurzweil vs. the Critics of Strong AI', John Searle says:

"Here is what happened inside Deep Blue. The computer has a bunch of meaningless symbols that the programmers use to represent the positions of the pieces on the board. It has a bunch of equally meaningless symbols that the programmers use to represent options for possible moves."


This is a perfect example of wny I can't take the guy seriously.  He talks about 'meaningless' symbols, then goes on to describe what those symbols mean! He is *explicitly* stating that two sets of symbols represent positions on a chess board, and options for possible moves, respectively, while at the same time claiming that these symbols are meaningless.  wtf?  Does he even read what he writes?  I'm baffled that anyone can write something like this, and not immediately delete it, looking round in embarrassment hoping that nobody saw it.

What kind of 'meaning' can a symbol have, other than what it represents in the context in which it appears?  If, in Deep Blue, the number hA45 stored in a particular memory location is used to represent "White Queen on square 4:6", that is its meaning to Deep Blue.  Just as a specific pattern of neuron firings in a certain part of my brain represents the taste of chocolate ice-cream.  If that's a 'meaningless symbol', then I must think using meaningless symbols.  It seems to work just fine, so if "meaningless" (in this context) means anything, it's irrelevant to the functioning of at least one mind.  

Maybe I'm a zombie! (If a zombie realises it's a zombie, does that mean it's cured?)

Ben Zaiboc


      



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