[ExI] Brain emulation, regions and AGI [WAS Re: Kelly's future]

[Richard Loosemore]

Stefano Vaj wrote:
> On 27 May 2011 15:18, Richard Loosemore <rpwl at lightlink.com 
> <mailto:rpwl at lightlink.com>> wrote:
> 
>     My own, more general answer to the issue of AGI via brain emulation
>     is that, as you are suggesting, the modeling of the human mind/brain
>     is likely to be the first successful AGI
> 
> 
> I am inclined to agree, only I think that the modeling of *a* human 
> brain is likely to be the first successful AGI.
> 
> I suspect that unless the full product of a given ontogenetic 
> development is replicated, a generic high-level copy of a human brain 
> would not do much.
> 
> Of course, OTOH, if we were to go down to a molecular level, all the 
> relevant information contained in the original would be included.

Bear in mind that my original point, in that quoted sentence, was to 
*distinguish* modeling of the brain proper, from modeling of the human 
mind/brain ... which latter term I meant to imply the psychology level. 
  Which, in turn, means that I am saying that the first AGI will be a 
model of generic, high-level cognition.

So when you say "I am inclined to agree..." you are probably then 
describing a position that was the one I was attacking :-).

---

What I really meant, when I said "human mind/brain", was a combination 
of cognitive psychology and the broad architectural features of the 
brain that are relevant, and the low level circuitry features that are 
relevant.

That is very much the opposite of whole brain emulation, since the 
latter is dominated by the idea of Circuitry Above All Else.

If we were discussing the merits of WBE using a generic, non-individual 
brain, versus WBE using a single individual brain, then I would be in 
agreement with what you just said.  I think that it would be dubious to 
claim a WBE system to be valid if it combined bits of wiring from many 
different individuals.

But then, I think all of that will be a moot point, because I think that 
the arrival of a multi-brain AND the arrival of a single-brain WBE will 
both come long after the cognitive-level systems have been built, 
understood and become sentient research partners in the enterprise of 
studying WBE science.



Richard Loosemore