Posted by So I wrote a post a few days ago called Notes on Work
Check it here : https://archive.daveerasmus.com/notes-on-work
And then AlphaGo smashed up Lee Sedol 4-1 at Go and all of Asia watched.
Check it here : http://www.wired.com/2016/03/two-moves-alphago-lee-sedol-redefined-future/
The modern history of machine intelligence has been marked by moments of ‘victory’ by machines over biology. With Deep Blue taking down Kasparov at chess in 1997. Watson Winning at Jeopardy in 2011 and now AlphaGo birthed by DeepMind taking down Lee Sedol in 2016 – A feat until recently predicted only to happen in 10 years time.
The thing I enjoy about the WIRED article is the focus on the beauty of both competitors, the Alpha’s ability to learn the game in a way no human has, using reinforcement learning to play itself and learn through a different pedagogy. As well as celebrating Sedol’s transcendent moments of biological brilliance helping him to his solitary win.
However I feel there are two bigger themes being propagated, implicit in the analogies we are creating to show the world how machines are developing
Control & Competition
I am concerned.
Almost all the terrible moments in history come from the elites ability to divide the people, and we unfortunately can see some of these methods being used today in US politics
Tim Wise does a good job of increasing our consciousness of this that is deeply embedded in our history.
But what I am concerned about is that, as we continue to venture into one of the most important evolutionary moments in all of existence that we will carry on these childish themes of control and competition that have abused and pillaged our global communities and the result would be more damaging than anything previously encountered.
I am concerned that if we don’t also create ‘moments’ on the journey to mixed-matter intelligence that speak to the values of the future that we so desperately need, that we will fall foul to the ideas that trapped our grandparents in cycles of hate and fear.
It is not enough for the writers to comment on the beauty within the competitive frame of the game that has winners and losers. Don’t get me wrong, I love games and sports and it’s a great way to create clear goals and push each other to develop but we also need respectful signals that help us to imagine an interdependent, collaborative future where we can create more and differently with MM Intelligence than ever before.
So my little ideas is……Drum roolllll please.
Dave & Bleu
Me performing some bluesy type music in partnership with a machine! Not in competition but hopefully Bleu will grow to a place of making music in ways that I could, nor any human could have ever imagined.
As I explained the idea, my friend Alan told me there is a field call ‘Computational Creativity’
I googled it, he was right! 🙂
I found David Cope former professor at Santa Cruz california in music, I emailed, he responded….
I suggested the following..
he added,
So this is my task (should I choose to accept it)
To find 100 awesome blues songs and build a model including these ingredients
– Key
– Chords
-Tempo
– Phrasing
– Rhythm
– Arrangement
– Loudness
– Meter
– Melodic Motive
(I don’t yet know what melodic motive is but I will find out)
Then I Bleu and me ever did perform and bleu got to a self governing, self developing state and you enjoyed it you would be appreciating a mixed-matter intelligence music performance.
In summary, I would LOVE to see some press releases about machines and biology working together to create unprecedented results! not just one beating another!
Watch out for Bleu 🙂