carberry@udel.edu (Sandra Carberry) (03/14/91)
Delaware Valley Artificial Intelligence Association March 20, 1991 Meeting St. Joseph's University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Connectionist Enterprise and its Relationship to AI By Dr. David Touretzky Carnegie Mellon University ABSTRACT: Young graduate students sometimes tell me with near religious fervor that they, too, want to work on "connectionism." My usual reaction is to ask: Why? After overcoming the shock of having a (presumed) fellow believer demand reasons for their faith, they respond with a recitation of pieties such as might be culled from the popular press: "It's brainlike!" "It's self-organizing!" "It's massively parallel!" "It's the way humans do it!" As they soon discover, these stirring slogans are either wrong or only trivially true. So why work on connectionism? My goal in this talk is not to dishearten the faithful or drive potential converts from the door of the church. Rather it is to lead people to a more mature understanding of the diverse activities taking place under its roof, and those of its neighbors and ancestors. A principle cause of confusion about connectionism is that there are really three distinct connectionist enterprises. AI is long overdue for reconciliation with --- even absorption of --- certain parts of the connectionist research program. I hope to facilitate that here. TIME: 4:30 P.M. DATE: March 20, 1991 LOCATION: President's Lounge Campion Center St. Joseph's University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania COST: Lecture $5.00 (Students with ID free) There will be a dinner at Charlie's place on City Avenue after the talk. Dinner AND Talk $25.00 For more information, contact DVAIA President: Jonathan Hodgson (215) 660-1571 DVAIA Meeting Secretary: Phil Rossomando (215) 354-4933 -- Sandra Carberry
loren@tristan.llnl.gov (Loren Petrich) (03/14/91)
It was mentioned that there were supposedly at least three separate connectionist enterprises. What are they??? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Loren Petrich, the Master Blaster: loren@sunlight.llnl.gov Since this nodename is not widely known, you may have to try: loren%sunlight.llnl.gov@star.stanford.edu