AIList-REQUEST@AI.AI.MIT.EDU (AIList Moderator Nick Papadakis) (05/25/88)
Date: 9 May 88 10:52:56 GMT From: bwk@mitre-bedford.arpa (Barry W. Kort) Reply-to: AIList@AI.AI.MIT.EDU Subject: Re: Free Will & Self Awareness [AIList Digest V7 #4] I was doing fine reading Cliff's rejoinder to Lloyd's comments until I came to this part: >>We can't demonstrate true randomness in present day computers; >>the closest we can come (to my knowledge) is to generate a string >>of numbers which does not repeat itself. [Lloyd] >This is not possible in a von Neumann machine. [Cliff] I was under the impression that a simple recursion (or not-so-simple if one is a fan of Ramanujan) can emit the digits of pi (or e or SQRT(2)) and that such a string does not repeat itself. I think what Cliff meant is that a von Neumann machine cannot emit a string whose structure cannot be divined. If I wanted to give my von Neumann machine a *true* random number generator, I would connect it to an A/D converter driven by thermal noise (i.e. a toasty resister). --Barry Kort ------------------------------
AIList-REQUEST@AI.AI.MIT.EDU (AIList Moderator Nick Papadakis) (05/25/88)
Date: 9 May 88 21:05:14 GMT From: bwk@mitre-bedford.arpa (Barry W. Kort) Reply-to: AIList@AI.AI.MIT.EDU Subject: Re: Free Will & Self Awareness [AIList Digest V7 #4] Perhaps it would help if I offered a straw proposal for invoking one's free will in a specific situation. Assume that I possess a value system which permits me to rank my personal preferences regarding the likely outcome of the courses of action open to me. Suppose, also, that I have a (possibly crude) estimate of your value system. If I were myopic (or maybe just stupid) I would choose my course of action to maximize my payoff without regard to you. But my knowledge of your value system creates an interesting opportunity for me. I can use my imagination to conceive a course of action which increases both of our utility functions. Free will empowers me to choose a Win-Win alternative. Without free will, I am predestined to engage in acts that hurt others. Since I disvalue hurting others, I thank God that I am endowed with free will. Is there a flaw in the above line of reasoning? If so, I would be grateful to someone for pointing it out to me. --Barry Kort ------------------------------