I don't really know what's happened but TAB has been BUZZING with activity. The sub count has skyrocketed from 13,000 to (almost) 15,000 in one month.
That's 67 of you arriving every. single. day.
So, thank you all!! And welcome!!
Crossing the 15k mark deserves a special treat and I thought I could do another round of Ask Me Anything (or rather, Comment Whatever You Want):
Questions (about me, AI, writing…)
Introductions (tell me about you!)
Improvement suggestions
Topics you'd like me to cover more (or at all)
… Be bold!
Also.
I'm traveling this weekend so I’m doing this AMA from the middle of nowhere, surrounded by green trees, tweeting birds, and the freshness of nature.
Let me share with you a snapshot of this tranquility.
Breathing clean air, disconnecting from the city, and spending a couple of days without anyone mentioning the words “artificial intelligence” will be revitalizing.
See you in no time (schedule as always) with renewed energy and many more stories to tell!
I have invented, IP protected and manufactured functional demonstration devices of a covert, ring wearable, "at distance", smartphone interface device. There is nothing like it out there. It is possible to silently & covertly send
SMS "SOS" with distress message and GPS map, fitness APP, total music (any audio) SMS "SOS" with distress message and GPS map, fitness APP, total music (any audio) interface, cell call interface, and find my phone feature.
My question is, "Is this an edge interface device which you would like to learn more about?" I can send you a demonstration unit?
The Turing test has always been a somewhat vague benchmark since its inception, although I suspect there is more to it than its most simplified expression: having “a human” be unable to distinguish between a machine and a human during their screened off interaction. Obviously when you consider the full range of what constitutes “a human” you’re going to find quite a few naive folks that are easy to fool from the get go. Yeah I think it’s safe to say that the Turing test as it was originally conceived is now crossed off the list of AI accomplishment.
I think it’s time for a new benchmark in AI. We really need a new criteria by which to say, yes this is something that, when accomplished, is a significant milestone in practical intelligence. Thus, I propose the “Rather marginal cup of coffee” test. Have a robot gain access to an entirely randomised and generic kitchen. After having assembled all the materials and equipment required, it must produce and serve what might be deemed a rather shitty cup of coffee (SCC). This should now be a formal benchmark.
People hand-wring about AI becoming AGI, transcending into SGI. My question for you Alberto is, when will we see a robot pass the SCC test?
An evident path to AGI (at least for me, LOL) is for transformers to progressively encompass all of our 5 senses and (inner) proprioception. I think Yann Le Cun has a same view, and META is poised to tackle, at last the thorny symbol GROUNDING issue.
Could you cover, please, what's done for the currently neglected modalities (smell and taste)? It's not clear what they would provide for abstract reasoning and general scientific AI guided research but for situational intelligence, e.g. for addressing the mundane housekeeping chores for a robot, they would be invaluable (e.g. when it is time to get rid of some rotting stuff or, a more pleasing perspective for inventing new recipes).
Besides, in the long range, one could speculate on how the universe would be "seen" from a post singularity "transformer" able to fuse modalities from the entire electromagnetic spectrum!
Meanwhile, enjoy your immersion in Nature's intricate foliage, a perpetual source of wonder and inspiration for me.
I’m one of those 2000! I’m getting a lot out of your stack, thanks for being rad.
My question is more philosophical: in The Mind Illuminated, by Culadasa and John Yates PhD, the meditation teachers / neuroscientists present a model of consciousness that is extrapolated from the reported commonalities of thousands of years of meditative introspection.
That model is that our mind is made up of competing subminds that all vie to be “I” at any given moment. When I’m meditating, I can sometimes watch these subminds project their distractions into the stage I designate consciousness: the plan making submind, the fantasizing submind, the sensory submind, the language submind etc. Eastern wisdom teaches “there is no Self” just a complex combination of processes that collaborate to drive the body they inhabit away from pain and toward pleasure.
The language submind is particularly interesting in relation to AI. It sometimes seems no less a dj playing with and mixing together other people’s ideas than ChatGPT.
With Google marrying an LLM with the AI that beat that Go champion in Gemini, I am reminded of this complex system of minds that makes up me. Even the way GPT4 is a marriage of 8 models evokes this consciousness model to me. The web searcher and the Python interpreter are also good examples.
It seems to me we already have almost all the tech we need to build a consciousness composed of highly effective subminds!
1. Do you think there’s a flaw in my reasoning?
2. Would you be open to considering AI conscious?
3. At what point does it just *not matter*, and we have to treat AI as the next phase in evolution whether we can prove it is truly sentient or not?
Congrats man on the growth - well deserved. Way to go! Cheers, Veith
Hi Alberto,
I have invented, IP protected and manufactured functional demonstration devices of a covert, ring wearable, "at distance", smartphone interface device. There is nothing like it out there. It is possible to silently & covertly send
SMS "SOS" with distress message and GPS map, fitness APP, total music (any audio) SMS "SOS" with distress message and GPS map, fitness APP, total music (any audio) interface, cell call interface, and find my phone feature.
My question is, "Is this an edge interface device which you would like to learn more about?" I can send you a demonstration unit?
The Turing test has always been a somewhat vague benchmark since its inception, although I suspect there is more to it than its most simplified expression: having “a human” be unable to distinguish between a machine and a human during their screened off interaction. Obviously when you consider the full range of what constitutes “a human” you’re going to find quite a few naive folks that are easy to fool from the get go. Yeah I think it’s safe to say that the Turing test as it was originally conceived is now crossed off the list of AI accomplishment.
I think it’s time for a new benchmark in AI. We really need a new criteria by which to say, yes this is something that, when accomplished, is a significant milestone in practical intelligence. Thus, I propose the “Rather marginal cup of coffee” test. Have a robot gain access to an entirely randomised and generic kitchen. After having assembled all the materials and equipment required, it must produce and serve what might be deemed a rather shitty cup of coffee (SCC). This should now be a formal benchmark.
People hand-wring about AI becoming AGI, transcending into SGI. My question for you Alberto is, when will we see a robot pass the SCC test?
An evident path to AGI (at least for me, LOL) is for transformers to progressively encompass all of our 5 senses and (inner) proprioception. I think Yann Le Cun has a same view, and META is poised to tackle, at last the thorny symbol GROUNDING issue.
Could you cover, please, what's done for the currently neglected modalities (smell and taste)? It's not clear what they would provide for abstract reasoning and general scientific AI guided research but for situational intelligence, e.g. for addressing the mundane housekeeping chores for a robot, they would be invaluable (e.g. when it is time to get rid of some rotting stuff or, a more pleasing perspective for inventing new recipes).
Besides, in the long range, one could speculate on how the universe would be "seen" from a post singularity "transformer" able to fuse modalities from the entire electromagnetic spectrum!
Meanwhile, enjoy your immersion in Nature's intricate foliage, a perpetual source of wonder and inspiration for me.
Kind regards,
Sasskia
Gracias, Alberto. La filosofía de este boletín va de maravilla, ¡excelente!
Hello Alberto, can you cover more stories about next generation AI that employs new tech (other than ANN). What are other ways to build better AI?
Congrats, Alberto! Well deserved...
Perhaps you can collect your experience in growing TAB and offer it as a course, don't you think?
Enjoy your surroundings!
I’m one of those 2000! I’m getting a lot out of your stack, thanks for being rad.
My question is more philosophical: in The Mind Illuminated, by Culadasa and John Yates PhD, the meditation teachers / neuroscientists present a model of consciousness that is extrapolated from the reported commonalities of thousands of years of meditative introspection.
That model is that our mind is made up of competing subminds that all vie to be “I” at any given moment. When I’m meditating, I can sometimes watch these subminds project their distractions into the stage I designate consciousness: the plan making submind, the fantasizing submind, the sensory submind, the language submind etc. Eastern wisdom teaches “there is no Self” just a complex combination of processes that collaborate to drive the body they inhabit away from pain and toward pleasure.
The language submind is particularly interesting in relation to AI. It sometimes seems no less a dj playing with and mixing together other people’s ideas than ChatGPT.
With Google marrying an LLM with the AI that beat that Go champion in Gemini, I am reminded of this complex system of minds that makes up me. Even the way GPT4 is a marriage of 8 models evokes this consciousness model to me. The web searcher and the Python interpreter are also good examples.
It seems to me we already have almost all the tech we need to build a consciousness composed of highly effective subminds!
1. Do you think there’s a flaw in my reasoning?
2. Would you be open to considering AI conscious?
3. At what point does it just *not matter*, and we have to treat AI as the next phase in evolution whether we can prove it is truly sentient or not?
No questions just wanted to say I appreciate your stack, enjoy.
Very AI nice:)
Congrats, Alberto! That's amazing.
That's your best AI art yet Alberto. Extraordinarily realistic! :)