Reading comments to discussion “Can we compute an answer to every question?” on Linkedin (group Artificial Intelligence Researchers, Faculty + Professionals) I have asked what is actually computing. Pedro Marcal has given the next answer
“Computation is the control and execution of one or more machines to produce a desired answer.” The machines may be broken down into the following classes:
- Turing type digital computers.
- Neural type. This is the class that all animals, including man have. It includes the type that Kurzweil wishes to simulate to get to the Singularity. I will call the latter a hybrid between the Turing and this class, it includes neural networks.
- Structural phonetic type. This is where I have placed DNA and Genomic reproduction. Also where future advances in NLP and automatic programming will be placed. The dictum of AI-“data is the program and program is the data will be dominant.”
- Analogue computing which takes advantage of the exact mathematical equality between two physical processes. This may include a hybrid with the Turing Class of computers.
We call the control and execution medium a computer program. Like all programs they can be defined by their complexity.”
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