From: Ben Goertzel

From: Ben Goertzel To: "jeffrey E." <[email protected]> Subject: Re: "Intelligent Virtual Animal" research proposal Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 10:27:57 +0000 Attachments: Goertzel_Harrigan_Bach_Black_Foundation_Proposal_2014.pdf Here you go, thanks -- Ben On Mon, Dec 22, 2014 at 6:18 PM, jeffrey E. [email protected]> wrote: > resend the proposal made out to the Black foundation. thanks asap > On Mon, Dec 22, 2014 at 3:54 AM, Ben Goertzel wrote: » Hi, >> Ah, and one more thing regarding my financial particulars. >> As each year, the OpenCog HK project requires a "corporate >> contribution" (10% corporate contribution is required to secure the >> 90% government funding, under this kind of research grant). >> This year the 10% corporate contribution amounts to roughly US$25K. >> It's supposed to be given to them by the end of 2014, but if it's >> slightly late that's probably OK. As usual, I don't have the money >> and have to dig it up somewhere (which has been from you every year so » far!!).... >> If you choose to fund the overall project that Cosmo, Joscha and >> myself have suggested, this $25K could come out of that budget, and we >> could allocate one of the OpenCog HK team members to participate in >> the project. On the other hand, if you don't choose to fund that >> overall project, obviously the $25K would still be very valuable. >> (As you will recall it can be done either as a donation to a >> charitable organization, Humanity+, or as a payment to a company ... >> your lawyer has done it both ways, in different years..) >> The current HK grant funding is for natural language dialogue, and I >> believe that by the end of 2015 we can get an interesting NL dialogue >> system created using OpenCog -- and connected to David Hanson's >> robots, which will be a very effective demo. I don't think this is >> as scientifically profound as the virtual-animal project, however, it >> certainly will be a cool demo of OpenCog actually doing something >> (anything with David's robots is cool-looking!), and will be a genuine >> advance in NL dialogue systems. As opposed to Siri or Cortana, the >> dialogue will not be as broadly practical -- but it will be based on >> underlying reasoning and understanding. » EFTA00709554 >> As you know, since I am associated with the sponsorship of the OpenCog >> HK grant at HK Poly U, I can't be funded under that grant. However, >> I am very very eager to be able to spend my own time on AGI R&D once >> again (similar to how Joscha is now doing).... Funding of the virtual >> animal proposal would allow that, which would be awesome... >> I understand the progress on OpenCog and my related research has not >> been as excitingly visibly demonstrable as you would have liked... >> However, a lot of great stuff has been done under the hood, and huge » conceptual progress as well as code progress has been made. I think >> the next two years can be a breakthrough period for the project, and » for me. Some things need to percolate for a while, then they come to » a boil !!! >> If you have more questions, concerns etc. or just want to discuss out >> of general interest, let's set a time and have a chat -- I'm generally >> available (though I guess you may not be, given the holiday season...) » thanks » Ben >> On Mon, Dec 22, 2014 at 3:41 PM, Ben Goertzel wrote: >» Hi Jeffrey, »> >> > After a bunch of discussion and collaboration, here is a proposal from >> > myself, Cosmo and Joscha, describing some collaborative research work >» we would love to do over the next 18 months. » > >> > The basic idea is to "start simple" (while building on some of the >> > powerful tools that Joscha and I have built over the last years), and >> > aim to scientifically validate our approach (a subset of OpenCog, >> > including OpenPsi which is modeled on Joscha' Psi/MicroPsi model and >> > which Joscha would like to help evolve further) in the context of a >>> virtual animal.... Specifically we would like to implement a bunch >> > of parrot-oriented animal intelligence tests in a virtual world, and >> > have OpenCog control a "virtual psittacene bird" that reasons and >> > learns about its virtual environment and (without hacking specifically >> > for the tests) performs on these tests similarly to a real parrot like >» Irene Pepperberg's Alex. » > >> > Due partly to Joscha's influence, this is more science-oriented and >> > less engineering-oriented than my prior proposals to you, but >> > nevertheless, in the course of doing this experimental intelligence >> > evaluation, lots of valuable engineering and testing will get done... » > >> > We started out talking about doing something involving experiential >> > language learning (which would leverage the OpenCog NLP work currently >> > going on in Hong Kong). However, on reflection, it seemed that if we >> > wanted to do an experiential language learning project in a really EFTA00709555 >>> solid way, it would be best to *first* get "parrot level language and >> > animal behavior" truly compellingly, demonstratedly solved -- and then >> > move on to more sophisticated language. (Of course, human toddler >> > language is not evolutionarily descended from parrot language, but if >> > one looks at the issues more abstractly one can see a progression >> > there.).... So if this project goes forward, I'd say a natural next >> > step would be to follow this up with a "virtual toddlers in a virtual >>> world learning language" project. But, first things first.... » > >> > When you have time, perhaps the four of us could do a Skype call (or >> > good old telephone conference call) to discuss? >> > >» Thanks a lot, >» Ben »> » > >» Ben Goertzel, PhD >» http://goertzel.org »> >> > "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one >> > persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all >> > progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George Bernard Shaw » -- » Ben Goertzel, PhD » http://goertzel.org >> >> "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one >> persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all >> progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George Bernard Shaw > -- > please note > The information contained in this communication is > confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may > constitute inside information, and is intended only for > the use of the addressee. It is the property of > JEE > Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this > communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited > and may be unlawful. If you have received this > communication in error, please notify us immediately by > return e-mail or by e-mail to [email protected], and > destroy this communication and all copies thereof, > including all attachments. copyright -all rights reserved EFTA00709556 Ben Goertzel, PhD http://goertzel.org "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George Bernard Shaw EFTA00709557