The Fractal Beauty of Emergence: Re-EnVisioning Intelligence in Man and Machine

Simon D. Levy

Department of Computer Science

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, VA 24450

http://www.cs.wlu.edu/~levy

Big QuestionsBig Questions

•What makes us human?What makes us human?

•What keeps us from becoming more?What keeps us from becoming more?

• How do our metaphors hold us (and our How do our metaphors hold us (and our

artefacts) back?artefacts) back?

What Makes Us Human?What Makes Us Human?

• Soul / SpiritSoul / Spirit• EmotionEmotion• ConsciousnessConsciousness• IntelligenceIntelligence• LanguageLanguage

LanguageLanguage

• Reference to distal objects/eventsReference to distal objects/events• Reference to (others’) beliefsReference to (others’) beliefs• Structure Structure (syntax)(syntax)•Rule-governedRule-governed

Language : Nature or Nurture?Language : Nature or Nurture?

- Acquisition automatic- Acquisition automatic - - “Inexplicable” patterns across languages“Inexplicable” patterns across languages -- Trans-finite / recursive representations Trans-finite / recursive representations

• Skinner (1940’s-50’s): Skinner (1940’s-50’s): Verbal BehaviorVerbal Behavior• Chomsky (50’s…): Chomsky (50’s…): Universal GrammarUniversal Grammar

The Current DogmaThe Current Dogma•Language is fundamentally digital Language is fundamentally digital (recursive, symbolic, rule-based) (recursive, symbolic, rule-based) computation computation • Like the rest of human psychology, this Like the rest of human psychology, this computation is largely determined by computation is largely determined by biological evolutionbiological evolution

• Chomsky: Accidental, non-adaptiveChomsky: Accidental, non-adaptive• Pinker: Survival value of communicationPinker: Survival value of communication

EmergenceEmergence: Escaping the : Escaping the Nature/Nurture DichotomyNature/Nurture Dichotomy

““Inexplicable” patterns across languagesInexplicable” patterns across languages

• Language itself evolves adaptivelyLanguage itself evolves adaptively

• (Universal) patterns emerge under (Universal) patterns emerge under

constraints of communicationconstraints of communication

Language as EmergenceLanguage as Emergence

• Sounds (phonemes) emerge as attractors Sounds (phonemes) emerge as attractors

in perception/action space [Browman / in perception/action space [Browman /

Goldstein / Studdert-Kennedy]Goldstein / Studdert-Kennedy]

• Universal syntactic patterns emerge from Universal syntactic patterns emerge from

constraints on processing [Hurford / Kirby/ constraints on processing [Hurford / Kirby/

Batali]Batali]

FractalsFractals: Structure Without : Structure Without RulesRules

Fractal self-similarity mirrors self-similarity Fractal self-similarity mirrors self-similarity

(embedding) in language… (embedding) in language…

Trans-finite / recursive representationsTrans-finite / recursive representations

... But I know, too,

That

the blackbird is involved

in

what what

... But I know, too,

That the blackbird is involved

In what

– Wallace Stevens

I know.

Language as a FractalLanguage as a Fractal

• Fractals can be directly implemented in Fractals can be directly implemented in neural-like networks [Tabor]neural-like networks [Tabor]• Neural architectures can be “super-Neural architectures can be “super-Turing” in power [Siegelmann]Turing” in power [Siegelmann]• Human language may be located on the Human language may be located on the fractal “edge of chaos” [Crutchfield / fractal “edge of chaos” [Crutchfield / Young] : kind of rule-governed, kind of Young] : kind of rule-governed, kind of wildwild

Implications for AI / Cog. Sci.Implications for AI / Cog. Sci.•Maybe our metaphors (not computing Maybe our metaphors (not computing power) are what’s holding back human-power) are what’s holding back human-like machine intelligencelike machine intelligence• Possibility of a “Grand Unification” Possibility of a “Grand Unification” between the way we think about images / between the way we think about images / art and the way we think about art and the way we think about computation / thought / languagecomputation / thought / language

Implications for TranshumanismImplications for Transhumanism•Dogma of biologically determined, hard-Dogma of biologically determined, hard-wired digital brains / computers loses wired digital brains / computers loses appeal.appeal.• Humans are “natural-born cyborgs” Humans are “natural-born cyborgs” [Clark] whose tools co-evolve adaptively [Clark] whose tools co-evolve adaptively with human wetware and environment.with human wetware and environment.