[comp.ai] Presentation by David Touretzky

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???


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Loren Petrich, the Master Blaster: loren@sunlight.llnl.gov

Since this nodename is not widely known, you may have to try:

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