Why Computers Won’t Make Themselves Smarter

Whether or not we come to understand “intelligence” any time soon, we do have a major challenge on our hands in bringing together computers and humans in ways that enhance human life. While this challenge is viewed by some as subservient to the creation of “artificial intelligence,” it can also be viewed more prosaically — but with no less reverenc... See more

One way of thinking about this is Daniel Kahneman’s simple model of thinking: System 1 and System 2. System 1 thinking is fast and intuitive. Current AI models’ pattern recognition and next-token prediction are good examples of this. System 2 thinking is slow and analytical, akin to genuine reasoning and understanding. It is System 2 thinking where... See more

almost every time. And yet a paradox has emerged. It has become clear that more ‘processor power’ is actually required for managing what we have historically considered to be low-level tasks for humans, such as motor-sensory coupling, spatial awareness and unanticipated responses. In other words, it is harder to build a machine that can wash the di

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