I have been reading a book called ‘In Search of Memory’ about the origin of neuroscience and how our memory system works. And it reminds me of the connection of our brain and AI.
Our Brain
Some people might think the human brain is just a representative of intelligence. However, the brain makes us everything we are; it determines what we think and do. Just glancing at the sky, catching a ball, or doing an academic experiment all require complex information processing in our brains.
There are about 100 billion neurons with 10 thousand connections with each neuron. The network of neurons interact, and their processing and feedback lead to our thoughts and behavior.
Specialized and General Artificial Intelligence
The current phase of artificial intelligence(specialized) can simulate a single module of our brain functioning, such as reasoning, image and sound perception, and language understanding. In a specific area, AI can be better than humans. For example, AlphaGo defeated the human champion in the Go game, and AI systems have reached the level of professional doctors in diagnosing skin cancer.
The human brain is a general intelligent system that can draw inferences from one instance and integrate knowledge. Many AI models are inspired by the human brain. The way of training these models is to provide input and feedback continuously until the system gives the right answer, and new connections within the system will be made, just like our brain.
Some leading AI companies, such as OpenAI and DeepMind, are searching for ways to simulate this broader functioning of the human brain to deal with more complex and comprehensive tasks. If they succeed, it will lead us to a new era: artificial general intelligence.
The Future
One of the ultimate goals of neuroscience and philosophy is to understand consciousness. The magic and complexity of the human brain are still too much to explore. Currently, AI is more like a powerful specialist but not a generalist, with a high IQ but less EQ. But can AI finally successfully simulate the human brain and create consciousness? What do you think if there is always a difference between humanity and AI, no matter how far it develops?
The mention of neuroscience as a field striving to understand consciousness adds depth to the discussion. It might be interesting to explore how ongoing advancements in neuroscience could further influence AI development, particularly in areas like emotional intelligence and creativity. Again, one coin has two sides. The scientists should always double-check boundaries and ends.
Thank you for the comment, and the topic you brought up with intelligence regarding emotions and creativity is quite important and challengeble for current AI applications. Yes the ongoing advancements in neuroscience and AI will benefit and promote each other. Let us hope that scientists and entrepreneurs will use it in proper ways in the future.