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Marvin Marvin MinskyMinskyToshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences,Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences,

and Professor of Electrical Engineering andand Professor of Electrical Engineering and

Computer ScienceComputer Science at M.I.T. at M.I.T.

““Why People Think Computers CanWhy People Think Computers Can’’tt””First published in AI Magazine, Fall 1982First published in AI Magazine, Fall 1982

What What cancan computers computers

dodo……?? Compute!Compute!

Create?Create?

Solve Problems.Solve Problems.

Understand?Understand?

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What about us?What about us?

Are we self-aware?Are we self-aware?

What do we know about our ownWhat do we know about our ownminds/consciousness?minds/consciousness?

What makes us and what we do unique?What makes us and what we do unique?

CreativityCreativity

Creativity is overrated:

Minsky marvels at ordinary thinking

Computers can be creative as longas we rid ourselves of the belief that“creativity requires some special,magical ‘gift’ that simply cannot beexplained”

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UnderstandingUnderstanding

MachinesMachinesRequirements:Requirements: Common SenseCommon Sense Ability to learn and reason by analogyAbility to learn and reason by analogy Ability to learn from experienceAbility to learn from experience Complicated theories/large knowledge base inComplicated theories/large knowledge base in

order to find meaningorder to find meaning Reflective thinkingReflective thinking ““IntuitiveIntuitive”” critical faculties (or ability to censor critical faculties (or ability to censor

bad ideasbad ideas

““We reallyWe really

dondon’’t yett yet

know whatknow what

the limits ofthe limits of

computerscomputers

are.are.””