A DARPA Perspective on Artificial Intelligence [pdf]

"Contextual adaptation" is what they want, but that doesn't mean it's coming in the near future. However, this does mean that funding for research on it will be available.

As I've said for years, the big lack in AI is in the "common sense" and unstructured manipulation area. Nobody can build something with squirrel levels of manipulation and agility, even in simulation. Robot manipulation in unstructured situations is still very poor. The people trying to simulate C. elegans at the neuron level can't get that to work, despite a full wiring diagram and years of effort.

Something very low level is not understood. There's a Nobel Prize waiting for whomever figures that out.

Re: A DARPA Perspective on Artificial Intelligence [pdf]

#6

Post by Ziggy_Zaggy » Sat, Mar 19, 2022, 8:38 PM UTC

Very thought-provoking.

Re: A DARPA Perspective on Artificial Intelligence [pdf]

#7

Post by mooreds » Sat, Mar 19, 2022, 8:40 PM UTC

Nice high level overview of the three waves of AI (two have happened, the "Contextual adaptation" wave is yet to occur). Includes examples and successes and failures. ("Young man holding a baseball bat", indeed :) ).

"Systems construct contextual explanatory models for classes of real world phenomena" is the next goal. That is, understanding + being able to describe the reasoning for the understanding.

No technical depth, really, but lots of words to google if you want to learn more.

Re: A DARPA Perspective on Artificial Intelligence [pdf]

#8

Post by hans1729 » Sat, Mar 19, 2022, 8:44 PM UTC

Animats wrote: post #5

"Contextual adaptation" is what they want, but that doesn't mean it's coming in the near future. However, this does mean that funding for research on it will be available. As I've said for years, the big lack in AI is in the "common sense" and unstructured manipulation area. Nobody can build something with squirrel levels of manipulation and agility, even in simulation. Robot manipulation in unstructured situations i…

> Nobody can build something with squirrel levels of manipulation and agility, even in simulation.

Isn’t that what alpha go or the StarCraft league are? Organic strategies in well-defined contexts (action options of the squirrel at Tn)? “Squirrel” is a nice reference frame.

Re: A DARPA Perspective on Artificial Intelligence [pdf]

#9

Post by davidmanheim » Sat, Mar 19, 2022, 8:51 PM UTC

mooreds wrote: post #7

Nice high level overview of the three waves of AI (two have happened, the "Contextual adaptation" wave is yet to occur). Includes examples and successes and failures. ("Young man holding a baseball bat", indeed :) ). "Systems construct contextual explanatory models for classes of real world phenomena" is the next goal. That is, understanding + being able to describe the reasoning for the understanding. No technical d…

People may want to see the appendix to our RAND report on areas related to DARPA's focus, for more depth on the relevant uses of automation, ML, and AI -https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2489.html

Re: A DARPA Perspective on Artificial Intelligence [pdf]

#10

Post by TaylorAlexander » Sat, Mar 19, 2022, 8:54 PM UTC

hans1729 wrote: post #8

Animats wrote: post #5

"Contextual adaptation" is what they want, but that doesn't mean it's coming in the near future. However, this does mean that funding for research on it will be available. As I've said for years, the big lack in AI is in the "common sense" and unstructured manipulation area. Nobody can build something with squirrel levels of manipulation and agility, even in simulation. Robot manipulation in unstructured situations i…

> Nobody can build something with squirrel levels of manipulation and agility, even in simulation. Isn’t that what alpha go or the StarCraft league are? Organic strategies in well-defined contexts (action options of the squirrel at Tn)? “Squirrel” is a nice reference frame.

Manipulation in the sense of being able to physically pick things up and manipulate them. Which is a difficult problem. StarCraft is moving a mouse pointer and clicking.