The NSA is working on a computer system that can predict what people are thinking. "Think of 2001: A Space Odyssey and the most memorable character, HAL 9000, having a conversation with David. We are essentially building this system. We are building HAL. The system can answer the question, 'What does X think about Y?'" These are the words of an unnamed researcher who discussed an amazing artificial intelligence system she was building at the NSA. It sounds like something right out of science fiction -- a system that can literally read thoughts like a magician. It's called "Aquaint" (Advanced QUestion Answering for INTelligence), and PBS's James Bamford takes a stab at explaining how it works: "As more and more data is collected -- through phone calls, credit card receipts, social networks like Facebook and MySpace, GPS tracks, cell phone geolocation, Internet searches, Amazon book purchases, even E-Z Pass toll records -- it may one day be possible to know not just where people are and what they are doing, but what and how they think." Whether it works or not, we know that it's so intrusive that at least one researcher has quit over the idea of placing such a powerful system in the hands of the an agency with little to no accountability. At its best, the system could become a a valuable tool used for national security and beating Watson at Jeopardy. At its worst, it sounds like something from Orwell's 1984. read more: http://read.bi/oBwHNH
subbed. incredibly fascinated; interested to see how others react. honestly, i have a multitude of mixed emotions about this. once i find out a little bit more i'll participate in comments.
I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords. May they see my early alliance as a sign of good faith, to be rewarded come the dawning of the New Era.
Thanks for the increased paranoia bro! lol. We're all fucked. If the NSA can say what we're thinking and it's now legal to detain someone you "think is going to commit a crime", we're going to locked up if we buy a book on growing, make a post on GrassCity, and google something about it. When it can all just be a hobby. High tech police state in the making.
I'll wait till the AI finally figures out that the cops it gives information to destroys more lives than it helps protect.
this combined with this article i just read yesterday is really scary stuff. whether or not any of it actually happens/works, the future doesn't look good. Information Awareness Office - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bullshit. This thing will never work. There will be too many flaws and ways to trick the system. I just worry about how they're going to abuse it's "power." "We asked our super-smart mind reading machine what this random guy is thinking and it said he wants to blow up the White House. Off to jail forever."
That's exactly why it's scary. You spend too much time reading about serial killers as a hobby and you're put on the potential serial killer list, cross references some obscure books you bought and some jokes you make on a forum and suddenly the information & thought police are at your doorstep in black coats.
the nsa will be very carful not to anger the public. lets face it. you wont be able to hide it if shit hits the fan. sooner or later a revolution will happen. if the NSA is ignorant of that then we hired the wrong people the government may be corrupt but it will all work out eventually i hope >.>
When I read "Artificial Intelligence" the first thing I pictured was this: Are we pushing towards this era? Joking, of course, but in a nerdy way, it'd be sick to live like they do in Halo one day.
no need to be alarmed people. "As more and more data is collected -- through phone calls, credit card receipts, social networks like Facebook and MySpace, GPS tracks, cell phone geolocation, Internet searches, Amazon book purchases, even E-Z Pass toll records -- it may one day be possible to know not just where people are and what they are doing, but what and how they think." the bold is the key. If they don't have bunk for data from you the prediction it can make will also be just as bunk. They know it and anyone else working on these sorts of projects know it. Now if your posting on facebook everyday about everything you do even an idiot from the backwoods would be able to make an educated guess about how you feel about something. That guess will only get better with more data. as for the "it'll never work" comment. That's true for a while but even someone purposely trying to beat it will eventually not be able to because unlike humans, computers remember every option you pick and the idea behind it so you've got a few free rounds but in this game the more you play the better the odds your going to lose. What's really interesting to me (and kind of related) is how more and more things are using these prediction based models for things, from identifying things in pictures to trying to find the best solution for the design of an antenna. It's all using the same method. (look under thread called "cool science/tech videos", page 2, video about machine learning). Even Watson uses that method, they just layer it so that the more layers there are the "wider" the scope it can predict for and the better it's predictions are. When there's a true AI it will be using this method, although I think the machine running it will probably be an organically grown rather than the hardware we see currently. At least until they get the nano machines working.
for a robot to think on it's own with moral/dignity/emotions, i think would be impossible. but maybe it could track down the after effects of arresting one person to how it affects their entire family and friends. who knows, anything is possible.
This slightly math heavy (but i figured that you guys could understand it) excerpt gives the ideas the OP is interested in a little more weight. http://www.singularity.com/BookExcerpts/SingularityisNear_Appendix.pdf Actually, this idea hasn't been aired in a while. Guess i'll make it a thread.
how perfect that this came out on ted today, in referance to what I said before: Kevin Slavin: How algorithms shape our world | Video on TED.com