If you were to consider a story written down, one could argue with the previous definition of intentionality that it to had intention. It will have both objects and a state of intention to the object which will be delivered to the reader. Like wise pictures and diagrams can be seen in the same light. Yet these are said not to have intention because they derive as second-hand intention from an intentional source and can only be viewed as intentional when perceived by another being of intention. These are there for seen as artefacts. The problem for Mind Design is that artificial intelligence systems, like sentences and pictures, are also artefacts. For a system with a mind of its own to be designed and built, then it must have genuine original intentionality, just as we do. Is this possible?
Dennett approached this argument with idea of original intentionality as coming from believes and desires manifested in observable repeated patterns of behaviour. He made particular enthuses on behaviour patterns being repeated, not necessarily perfectly. But that with the right observation one could extrapolate some sense of believe or desire. He also made reference to interaction with the world be a crucial factor. But many argue that if this behaviour was observed in virtual world this world represent the same thing, as many consider the idea of any mind to understand the world in its own virtual capacity.
Artificial Intelligence is defined as a non-natural entity exhibiting intelligence. AI has now become a prominent computer science focused on providing solutions to real world problems. And now AI is routinely used in economics, medicine, engineering and in the military.
AI has come a long way in the last forty years though not quite meeting original perceived expectations. To day the expectations of AI has change a lot due to greater understanding of the problem at hand and the desire to capitalise with in the field. AI methods have often been employed in cognitive science research, which tries to model subsystems of human cognition. Historically, AI researchers aimed for the greater goal of simulating complete, human-like intelligence. This goal is still unlikely to be met in the near future and is now no longer the subject of most AI research. The failure of these early expectations has lead to dismissive attitude towards AI, with large sections of the general public having no faith in this technology every reaching the original goal. The idea of artificial intelligence replacing human professional judgment has arisen many times in the history of its development, and today it in use in some areas where "expert systems" are routinely used to augment or to replace professional judgment such as some areas of engineering and of medicine. This is a trend that is set to grow with AI reaching into more and more areas of the skilled job market. Even though a substantial amount of AI functionality exists in everyday software, some misinformed commentators on computer technology have tried to suggest that a good definition of AI would be "research that has not yet been commercialised". This is because when AI is incorporated into an operating system or application it often becomes an understated feature, yet many of us are using it daily.
The future expectations of AI are still quite hi, but to many much more realistic. It is now that we believe we understand the kind of possessing power and memory it would take to simulate a human brain, as yet computers are still some way of this mark. We also have much more of an understanding of how complex systems such as the human brain can operate in a non linier fashion, and with developments in systems such as neural networks we are getting closer to recreating brain function. With the expected increase in power of biological scanning equipment over this century we will be able to see the brain in more detail giving us a grater understanding of its workings. This alongside increased computer power is said to be all we need to possibly reproduce the human brain digitally.
It is with ideas on technology like this that gave rise to Kurzweil's law of accelerated return. This states that technological growth is increasing exponentially and offers crowed models of when AI might reach humanities abilities and with in a few years surpass man. There are many, which believe this point man will not sit back and become the pet of machine. And so humanity can stand alongside AI man will integrate with the machines. Some have coined this new man as the Neo-Human. It is said with in a short time of this, a paradigm shift in the speed of technology will take place as intelligence piles upon intelligence. It is at then that intelligence becomes so vast and technological growth so fast that it beyond are comprehension to perceive what could possibly come next. There are those who do make suggestions but for the most part they are largely subjective and fanciful. One thing is clear and that is the science of psychology will expand largely, and play a large part in the way humanity deals with this new world.
There are many ethical concerns if we was to develop what some might say are sentient beings. For instance if computers simulate animal or human brains should they receive the same animal rights or human rights as the actual creature? And under what conditions could such simulations be allowed to happen at all? What are the criteria for a computer to be considered sentient? Can a computer that is considered sentient ever be turned off? If AI is more intelligent than humans, would we retain our 'rights'? What will the impact upon careers, jobs and are economics be? These are questions that will be considered with great importance as we get closer to creating true AI. But its not just the debate of the machines, it will probably be the debate of who and what we are that will take centre stage. That age old question but asked again with yet more new light.
