reading｜liu zhiyi: "thinking stone": the future of artificial intelligence - reading "stories, dice and thinking stones"
2024-09-13
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liu zhiyi, a leading chinese artificial intelligence scientist, researcher at qingyuan research institute of shanghai jiao tong university, member of the embodied intelligence committee of the china artificial intelligence society, and selected as one of the "top ten influential people in artificial intelligence" by forbes china in 2024
in this era of rapid knowledge renewal and explosive growth of information, we seem to have gradually adapted to a lifestyle surrounded by various data streams and algorithmic logic. however, byron rees's "stories, dice and thinking stones" invites us to re-explore and think about the origin, growth and possible future evolution of human wisdom with its unique perspective. this book does not just stop at a simple review of the past history of mankind, but through the profound vision of history, it puts forward profound thoughts and prospects for the future development of mankind.
stories, dice, and thinking stones,
[us] byron reese, translated by qiao dilanta, published by china translation and publishing house
in the preface of this book, the author raises a series of thought-provoking questions: why can humans stand out from many creatures? how is human thinking formed? what makes human thinking unique? through the exploration of these questions, rees leads readers through time and space, from the starting point of life 2 million years ago to the rise of artificial intelligence in the 21st century, integrating history, technology, narrative and probability, and re-examining the history, current situation and future of human society from a new perspective. combined with my research in the field of intelligence, i have some interesting views to share with you readers.
story: the awakening of the human mind
in "stories, dice, and thinking stones", the word "story" is given a meaning beyond the literal meaning. it is not only a medium of communication, but also a sacred spark of human mental awakening. it is like an undercurrent that runs through our civilization evolution from the footsteps of ancient humans 2 million years ago to today, stimulating the unique human ability to travel through time. this ability, like a magical key, unlocks our tracing of the past and our imagination of the future. it allows us to wander in the corridor of memory, draw wisdom from the campfire of the past, and draw pictures of the future on the canvas of imagination. it is this ability that makes us unique in the animal kingdom and build a complex yet brilliant social structure and civilization.
in byron reese's writing, "story" has become an art and a power. it not only carries the transmission of information, but also resonates with human wisdom and emotions. the "story" part of the book deeply reveals the power of language. language is not only a bridge of communication, but also a catalyst for human mental awakening. from ancient awakening to modern self-cognition, language gives us the ability to travel through time mentally, to recall the past, predict the future, and travel freely in the long river of time.
image source: visual china
dice: probability theory and the making of the modern world
the "dice" section, with its unique perspective, shows us the core role of probability theory in building the modern world. since french mathematicians first systematically expounded probability theory in the 17th century, this theory has become a powerful scientific tool for us to interpret and predict the future. it has not only completely changed the way we understand the world, but also inspired unprecedented development and change in all fields of science, economy and society. the birth of probability theory is like lighting a beacon in chaos, helping us navigate in the ocean of uncertainty. it allows us to quantify risks and assess possibilities, so that we no longer sail blindly in the face of an unpredictable future.
in fact, probability theory is closely related to deep learning in artificial intelligence, which is currently of great concern to everyone, because deep learning models need to process a large amount of random data and use probability theory to describe and optimize these models. for example, bayes' theorem is an important theorem in probability theory, which describes the update of the original probability after given new information, which has important applications in deep learning.
the probability theory presented in the "dice" chapter is not only an important branch of mathematics, but also the theoretical basis for the construction and development of the modern world. it gives us scientific methods and tools when facing the unknown and changes, and provides a deep understanding and response to the complexity and dynamism of modern society. at the same time, the combination of probability theory and deep learning has opened up a new path for the development of artificial intelligence, enabling machines to better simulate human intelligence, deal with uncertainty problems, and make more reasonable decisions in complex environments. it can be seen that the "dice" symbolizes our continuous attempts and predictions about the future. it is this exploration and adventure of the unknown that has promoted the development and progress of human society.
image source: visual china
thinking stones: the future of artificial intelligence
the chapter "thinking stones" explores the future of artificial intelligence and its possible far-reaching impact on human society with its profound perspective. with the rapid development of computer technology, artificial intelligence is no longer a concept in science fiction, but has become an unstoppable force in modern society. these intelligent entities, called "thinking stones", can not only efficiently process and analyze massive amounts of complex data, but also have made breakthrough progress in simulating human thinking patterns. the capabilities they demonstrate in specific areas even surpass the limits of humans in some aspects, which makes us full of infinite reverie about the potential and future of artificial intelligence.
this issue is discussed in my new book, embodied intelligence (published by the chinese translation publishing house in 2024). in fact, the rise of embodied intelligence is becoming the epitome of the artificial intelligence technology system, that is, the realistic version of "talking stone". embodied intelligence is not only the intelligence of the physical form of robots, but also a fusion of philosophy and cognitive science, emphasizing that the generation and development of intelligence comes from the dynamic interaction between intelligent agents and the environment. embodied intelligence focuses on the "interaction between the body, brain and environment", and by simulating the way humans learn, it enables intelligent agents to complete complex tasks through interaction in physical or virtual environments.
eventually, the advanced form of embodied intelligence will overlap with general artificial intelligence. in other words, the advanced form of embodied intelligence will be a physical way of existence of general artificial intelligence. with the continuous advancement of technology and the in-depth exploration of philosophy, we may be getting closer and closer to revealing the mystery of machine consciousness. by introducing higher-level abstraction, exploring strategies such as transfer learning, reinforcement learning, and meta-learning, we can hope to cultivate intelligent agents that can transcend the limitations of data sets, learn autonomously, and adapt to new situations. under the impact of increasingly powerful artificial intelligence and the competition of emerging new species of embodied intelligence, humans are facing a new era of coexisting with embodied intelligence, especially intelligent robots, on the same earth or on an alien planet. in the face of this challenge, humans need to face and prepare for the advent of the era of general embodied intelligence with clearer cognition, a more positive and proactive attitude. this is not only a question of the limits of technology, but also a philosophical exploration of the essence of intelligence. in short, the "thinking stone" represents the rise of artificial intelligence and heralds the arrival of a new era.
image source: visual china
in byron reese's writing, "thinking and reflection" is not only a review of past knowledge, but also an exploration and questioning of future wisdom. through the three chapters in the book, he draws a grand picture of human wisdom from awakening to glory, and also raises thought-provoking questions: in this era of rapid development of artificial intelligence, how can we find a balance between technological progress and adherence to human values? how can we ensure that the development of these technologies will ultimately become a benefit to mankind, rather than a potential threat?
with the continuous development of ai technology, its role in social development is becoming increasingly prominent. to a certain extent, it will even represent the future development trend of our world.
the story, dice and thinking stone correspond to three metaphors, which not only tell the development process of human wisdom, but also inspire our infinite imagination about future possibilities.
the questions mentioned in the book are like a spring that nourishes our thinking, guiding us to be introspective and forward-looking in the rapidly developing wave of science and technology. they challenge our inherent cognition of intelligence, human nature and technology, and prompt us to explore, question and redefine our relationship with the world.
author: liu zhiyi
text: liu zhiyi editor: zhou yiqian editor-in-chief: zhu zifen
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