Embodying [Artificial] Intelligence

Why Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will not be what we think it will

Read, what is written on the silent mouth

What is written in the soul

For which is written in the shining silence

We all have to read — Embody the Invisible, In Flames

The intricate relationship between language, thought, reality, and consciousness reveals a sharp distinction between meaning and information. This distinction becomes increasingly relevant when examining generative AI, especially considering its unconscious interaction with information and meaning.

The inseparable relationship between mind and body highlights that meaning exists in both mental and physical realms. While adept at processing data, AI must gain a grounding in the material or experiential reality essential to human understanding.

AI systems mimic language patterns and replicate information but lack the nuances of human consciousness and experience. This underscores a fundamental difference: AI's capacity for data handling versus the human ability to imbue data with meaning.

Generative AI's fundamental limitations compared to human cognition stem from its lack of physical embodiment and inability to experience life. Devoid of sensations, emotions, and experiences tied to a body, AI lacks the foundation of human understanding and meaning-making.

Humans process information by living it and feeling it through senses and emotions in a stream of conscious and subconscious experiences. This experiential aspect gives human understanding a depth and richness that AI cannot replicate in its current state.

The concept of endowing AI with a body involves technical complexities. It’s about developing AI that meaningfully processes and learns from sensory input, not just equips it with cameras and microphones. The challenge is designing AI that understands and contextualizes sensory information in a human-centric world.

Embodied AI in practice shows AI's meaningful interaction with the physical world. Examples like autonomous vacuum cleaners and robotic arms demonstrate the shift from purely computational AI to one interacting with the physical world. This evolution underscores AI's potential when integrated with a physical form.

The human process of meaning-making is deeply intertwined with our physical and emotional experiences, suggesting that AI might always fall short of true understanding without a similar framework. Human intelligence is not merely about processing data or executing algorithms; it is about the art of meaning-making, a process that transcends mere computational capabilities. Moving forward, we need to look into ways of harmonizing computational power with the experiential wisdom of the body to develop a more comprehensive and profound understanding of intelligence.

This is only a preview; read the full article in depth here:

https://medium.com/@OnurGun/embodying-artificial-intelligence-9a0e6d587cd3

Follow me on Medium for comprehensive and detailed writings on design, computation, innovation, technology, teaching, AI, and personal development:

https://medium.com/@OnurGun