"Naturalizing AGI" Presentation by Colin Hales, PhD, University of Melbourne

*** This is a live webinar presentation by Dr Hales from Melbourne exclusively for the Northwest Artificial General Intelligence Forum meetup and the Philosophy & Neuroscience meetup displayed on a mini-projector in the Victrola Cafe's back windowed conference room. Questions and answers will follow. ***

TITLE: “Naturalising AGI: AGI achieved by normalising the neuroscience of natural general intelligence”

BY: Colin Hales PhD, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne

In a world of often similar AI and AGI researchers, it is safe to say there is only one Colin Hales. Eschewing conventional techniques, Colin is pioneering a fascinating means of generating AGI based on normalising the science as follows:

1. The route to functional AGI is by generating real thought – Artificial General Intelligence as literally an artificial version of Natural General Intelligence (NGI). What is current ‘convention’ in AI/AGI (the 100% confinement to computers) is actually a historically unique aberration in science – a scientific discipline crippled in a way it is unaware of. Nowhere else in science is an abstract (computed) model of a natural thing accepted as an artificial version of that natural thing. If ‘artificial flight’ is an artificial version of natural flight, not a flight simulation, then an artificial version of natural general intelligence can be achieved by precisely the same approach. It’s actually the norm in science. Far from being maverick, the new approach merely normalises the science of natural general intelligence to operate as it does everywhere else!

2. An approach firmly grounded in disciplined empirical science predicated on the notion that an artificial (chip) substrate based on an inorganic form of the brain’s natural adaptive signalling biophysics will generate thought/intelligent behaviour in the same way that the brain’s organic (wetware) form does it. There are no models or computers or software. The chips, when complete, will exhibit EEG and MEG (field) signatures measurable with the same equipment used on humans. They develop and learn in the same way. It is the design of the hardware substrate that does this that is the ‘secret sauce’ of AGI. Only in the last decade or so have chip foundries reached the level needed to begin doing this.

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LOCATION DETAILS
For the time being (future events are still open for discussion of venue) the meetup will return to the Victrola Coffee and Art cafe's windowed back conference room. You walk to the back of the coffee shop and to your left is the double doored entrance. THERE IS INVARIABLY STREET PARKING available if you head towards Volunteer Park along 15th Ave E (ie., head north). The LINK subway stop on Broadway is about a 10 minute walk. Here is a page with some info on the cafe and a pic of the conference room: https://www.victrolacoffee.com/pages/15th

REMOTE PARTICIPANTS
Those members located elsewhere are encouraged to join the discussion. I will post the google hangouts link prior to 7pm on December 5th as a discussion under this meetup event page. There was a minor acoustic feedback issue in a prior meetup, but I think if remote participants use ear buds/headphones it will help (or at least keep your volume down). If you introduce yourself at an opportune time that is most welcome :)