Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
some feedback between these elements. But some have argued that intelligence should include additional
elements such as emotions. Still others have argued that intelligence can only arise in the context of a
body that can interact with (sense) the world. And perhaps the most perplexing philosophical question
of all is does intelligence give rise to consciousness or the other way around?
As the answers to the questions above have been debated for millennia with little progress made,
many engineers and computer scientists have approach artificial intelligence from the perspective of
utility. Early artificial intelligence research attempted to reduce thinking to the manipulation of symbols
by rules. Although this
symbolic
approach produced some interesting applications (e.g., expert systems),
it quickly became clear that the number of rules needed to produce anything resembling intelligence was
enormous. The second approach focuses more on the ideas of connected neurons to build something that
resembles the brain in both structure and function. This
connectionist
approach includes neural networks
and has made some steps toward matching patterns, storing memories in many distributed locations and
the ability to plan ahead. All indications are that as better mathematical models of neuron and brain
function are developed, they will find their way into the field of artificial intelligence.
10.8 CONCLUSION
Although it may not be possible to predict which of the above technologies will change the way we
understand and use our brain in the future, it is nearly certain that some will influence our lives in
profound ways. The road forward will not be easy and as is typical in science, not all of the obstacles to
progress are known to us at this time. The other certainty is that the brain still has many more secrets
waiting to be discovered.With continued study and hard work, you may have a date with scientific history
and even add your name to the list of prize winners in the preface.
