How do you know your AI is smart?
Posted by ljmacphee on January 30, 2007 under topics in artificial intelligence | 
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One of the more difficult tasks artificial intelligence creators face, is how do you know it is intelligent? There is not even have an agreement as to what constitutes intelligence in people let alone what constitutes intelligence in a machine.
There is some agreement on what is required for artificial intelligence: pattern recognition; the ability to create or learn, the ability to keep and access stored information; problem solving ability; communication ability; the ability to form intentions i.e. self awareness.
Much progress has been made using neural nets to do pattern recognition. The ability to create, learn, keep and access stored information has been partially done with black board systems and neural nets. Communication is lagging behind the other areas. Some speech recognition has been done with neural nets, but this is pattern recognition, not actual two-way communication. The ability to form intentions is hotly debated. What exactly this means is not clear. What constitutes self-awareness in a machine is also hotly debated and a definition or test has not yet been agreed upon.
It is not yet clear whether creativity is a part of general intelligence or a separate entity. The main traits of creativity are generally agreed to be: a lack of conventionality and the willingness to question status quo; the ability to recognize connections be they similar or dissimilar; and an appreciation and skill in any of the arts. Persistence or motivation is often considered a characteristic as well. It is necessary to have knowledge in the field as well. A lucky guess that is not understood is hardly creative.
It is clear there is such a thing as ‘general intelligence’ or ‘the G factor’. We can all readily identify intelligence, or lack thereof in people we come across. However, it is also clear that intelligence tests measure one’s ability to take tests and education, rather than one’s intelligence. General intelligence remains fixed over the life of an individual. Education grows as a person learns more whether through self education, academia or other methods. Some areas of the brain can be damaged with out harming a persons intelligence, instead only costing the person some memories or skills.
Although psychologists have tested for self awareness by placing dots on the foreheads of sleeping beasts and determining they were or were not self aware if they recognized the dot in the mirror as being on them. It is now clear that self awareness, like intelligence and education is a matter of degree and not a have or have not part of beings.
It is also becoming clear that consciousness is a dynamical ongoing process in the brain. It is not something that can be found in the pieces of the brain but only in the operation of the brain. How a piece of software works can not be determined by dismantling the computer into circuits and chips, nor can consciousness be understood by only looking at pieces of the brain.
The level of intelligence of a species is related to a constant multiplied by brain size divided by body size. Male human brains average 1371cc, female brains average 1216 cc. Normal IQ scores have been documented for brains between 735cc and 1470cc. Before anyone gets confused, remember that it is excess neurons above and beyond what are needed for body maintenance that matters, since male bodies are usually much larger than female bodies more neurons are needed for general maintenance.)
See Also:
The Random Test - AI Depot
The Streeb-Greebling Diaries: Some ingredients of intelligence