If Man can create General #AI, will it solve the infinite regress problem? Exploring how a creators mind would need to work?

The Infinite Regress problem is explained in the two sources below in far more detail. The basis of the idea is that each newly presumed creator of a creator, is itself presumed to have its own creator! In one form created adults create babies whom themselves can create babies and so it goes on. However the purpose of this post is to think about this problem in light of humans creating something (General AI), that itself will create something better than the creator (humans).

Source 1 : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_regress

Source 2: http://www.informationphilosopher.com/knowledge/infinite_regress.html

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Starting from the new concept (April 2019) of “Machine Behaviour” which is the thinking from MIT that says we should observe AI and record its action to understand what is going on inside AI. This is the same thinking as observing animal behaviour to determine what an animal may be thinking and their unique personalities. As a observational technique it certainly has merit (see the amazing work of Jane Goodall) but obviously depends on the nature of the “thing” which you are observing and the context. Alas your very presence may also change the observable outcomes (aka the extension of Herzenberg observation theorem)

We do need to rethink how we critically measure and analyse AI in the light of Machine Behaviour ideals. Observational analysis for understanding is understood and has merit within certain limits such as the animal as it is not our creation and often it is impossible to really understand true behaviour and rational. An assumption here is that we have not managed to observe anything outside the same (ecology/ biology) system in which we were also created, we indeed watch (study) ourselves to discover our own behaviour in the same system.

General AI (as thinking) is different as we need to move from being the created and observing what something else has created to; we are the creator of the system. When we are the creator, surly pure observation of what we created is just not a good enough method to depend on? 

Developing a thought experiment.

Whilst you might not like this, please let us develop an analogy to explore the thinking?

Is humans creating general AI in the same concept as what happened in the Garden of Eden when God created Adam and said to Adam; “do what you want but don’t eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge or eternal life” God in this imagery created a complex system which was not bound (anyway we broke the only rules we were given), but introduced the ideals of freewill and that mankind could, with these characteristics (knowledge and eternal life) become God like, a creator!

As a question for us. Is this concept; you can create something that can be equal or greater than the creator (who created it), therefore a creator can be a creator. Is this not the true representation of a creator? With General AI, are we planning on creating something ( not quite there yet) that we may not ultimately be in control of, it will have free will; the very same gift we have and enjoy, which allows us to explore this thinking!

The BUT is, we appear to be approaching creating general AI with the same terms of reference that we are limited by, “we have been created and we have a created mindset” Stop here for a minute to reflect as I am sure these words will get me into trouble. Created here does not determine the how, or the process or method or time – rather that humans (we) are right here right now and were not at some point so we have been created, which however you look at it was a process (long or short) of creation by a “creator.”

The opening of this though piece suggested we should observe AI to determine behaviour and understand what we have created. Observation is surly only good enough when someone/ something else ( a creator) sets the rules, provides the controls and enabled stability. An important question is “Do we need to shift out mind set to move from being the created, to thinking like a creator.” But what does this look like?

“Do we need to shift out mind set 

to move from being the created, 

to thinking like a creator.” 

Staying with the analogy (God and Adam) as we unpack this. Since we (humans) are created in this model of thinking, we had to create the attributes of God. If God is God, what were the attributes of God which mean that nothing could be greater (the Creator), here is a wiki page on the same https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attributes_of_God_in_Christianity

Stay with me here, this is a thought process. If we are going to become a creator of something (general AI), do we have to be all knowing and have attributes of God to be a creator? Well that is an interesting question. In this case it might be the system we create that might be able to answer that question. The created (humans), becomes the creator (of General AI) and in doing so many create a worry for the creator, or not? However, when the General AI becomes the creator itself, will it also have the same worry – and want to create attributes about us?

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Why is this interesting. If we were to imagine a God, that God has to be a God that is greater than what God has created or QED surly not God? So we can only observe (machine behaviour). We are the created by the creator. And so the infinite regress problem: wherein each newly presumed creator of a creator is itself presumed to have its own creator! So whatever we do, surly we can only do the same? If we create something it must be able to look back to us and see our attributes ( now that must be worth exploring). Being we created it what would General AI see or think/ comprehend about humanity? It would not see everything by definition as it is created in a new system.

Now, if we created something that is bigger than us, what happens. How can the creator create something bigger and better than itself? We have done this already with our economy and technology but these cannot create of themselves. If this concept is true: a true creator can create a creation that betters itself – it that not just a natural order that we have to follow.

Now image that we can now swop roles. We have always been and thought like the created and now we need to think like a creator. This is a massive shift. Do we see that what we create can be bigger than ourselves; if so then surly our very image of the attributes of a ourselves or our God are challenged?

We have always been the created 

and now we need to think like a creator. 

Moral philosophy so much fun