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

Simon D. Levy Department of Computer Science

Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, 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.