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Week 14: Journal Questions

For Monday's reading on Knowledge, Abstraction, and Analogy (Mitchell Ch. 15)

1. The ability to form abstractions was one of the key features that the original organizers of the first AI conference in 1955 expected an AI system would need. How well has the field of AI done at achieving abstraction so far? Explain.
2. Do you agree that abstraction is a key element of intelligence, why or why not?

For Wedneday's reading (Mitchell Ch. 16)

1. Which of the benefits of AI that she discusses in the final chapter is most exciting to you? Why?
2. Select one of the questions (shown below) for which you disagree with Mitchell's answer and make the arguement for your viewpoint.

In the final chapter of Mitchell's book, she asks the following ten questions about the future of AI:

• What benefits can AI bring to society?
• Can we trust current AI systems?
• Is face-recognition technology dangerous for society?
• Should AI research and its applications be regulated?
• How soon will self-driving cars be commonplace?
• Will AI result in massive unemployment for humans?
• Could a computer be creative?
• How far are we from general, human-level AI?
• Given the rate of progress in AI, will this book be out of date the day its published?
• What exciting problems in AI are still unsolved?