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WIRED MAGAZINE: ISSUE 16.02Tech Biz : People

Two AI Pioneers. Two Bizarre Si!i"es. W#a$ Rea%%& 'a((ene")By David Kushner 01.18.08

Illustration: Justin WoodOnline Extrassin! the "nternet to Build Their #ase $or %rti$icial "ntelli!ence*n $#e +ornin,o$ &une 1'( 1))0( #hris *cKinstry +ent loo,in! $or a !un. %t 11 a-( he +al,ed into ic,/s port hop on a usy street in do+nto+nToronto and approached the sales+o-an ehind the counter. 2"/ll ta,e a 3inchester De$ender(2 he said( re$errin! to a 1'4!au!e shot!un in the display.he eyealled the s,inny '54year4old and told hi- he/d need a certi$icate to uy it.T+o and a hal$ hours later( *cKinstry returned( clai-in! to have the re6uired docu-ent. The cler, sho+ed hi- the !un( and he handled the pistol!rip ad-irin!ly. Then( as she returned it to its place( he !raed another shot!un $ro- the case( yan,ed a shell out o$ his poc,et( and 7a--ed it intothe cha-er.2e/s !ot a !un9 e/s !ot a !un92 a +o-an screa-ed( as she ran out the $ront door. The store e-ptied. e didn/t try to stop anyone.oon *cKinstry heard sirens. % police truc, screeched up( and -en in lac, oots and ody ar-or too, up positions around the shop.The police cau!ht !li-pses o$ hi- throu!h the store +indo+s +ith the !un 7a--ed under his chin. They tried to ne!otiate y phone. They rou!ht inhis !irl$riend( +ith +ho- he/d 7ust had a $i!ht( to plead +ith hi-. They rou!ht in a psychiatrist *cKinstry had a history o$ -ental prole-s andhad tried to institutionalize hi-sel$ the day e$ore. %$ter $ive hours( *cKinstry ripped the telephone $ro- the +all and retreated into the ase-ent(+here he spent t+o hours listenin! to radio covera!e o$ the stando$$. Eventually( a reporter announced that the cops had decided on their next -ove:end in the root.

*cKinstry had stolen the !un ecause he +anted to end his o+n li$e( ut no+ he +as intri!ued. e/d al+ays een osessed +ith roots and arti$icialintelli!ence. %t ;( he had as,ed his -other to se+ a sleepin! a! $or his toy root so it +ouldn/t !et cold. 2ender,ind. in!h +as rilliant(a-itious( and stron!4+illed. "n ninth !rade( he had created his o+n sound di!itizer and tau!ht it to play a son! he +as supposed to e practicin! $orhis piano lessons. 2" don/t + ant to learn piano any -ore( " +ant to learn this(2 he said.in!h/s li$elon! $riend

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Why AI Failed -- The Past 10

Years

Push Singh

9 June 1996

(and a comment by Bill Gates)

in!h/s a-itious -ani$esto pro-pted an encoura!in! note $ro- B ill Fates. 2" thin, your oservations aout the %" $ield are correct(2 he +rote. 2%syou are +ritin! papers aout your pro!ress( " + ould appreciate ein! sent copies.2W#i%e Sin,#+as cli-in! the acade-ic ladder at *"T( *cKinstry +as tryin! to put his li$e ac, to!ether a$ter spendin! t+o and a hal$ -onths in7ail. But the suicidal stando$$ had !iven hi- a ne+ sense o$ purpose. e li,ed to thin, that the police root had delierately -is$ired its tear !ascanisters in an e$$ort to save hi- 2*aye roots do have $eelin!s(2 he later -used. By 1))'( *cKinstry had enrolled at the niversity o$ 3innipe! andi--ersed hi-sel$ in the study o$ arti$icial intelli!ence. 3hile pursuin! a de!ree in psycholo!y( he e!an postin! on %" ne+s!roups and eca-eena-ored +ith the +ritin!s o$ the late %lan Turin!.% crypto!rapher and -athe-atician( Turin! $a-ously proposed the Turin! test the proposition that a -achine had achieved intelli!ence i$ it couldcarry on a conversation that +as indistin!uishale $ro- hu-an conversation. "n late 1));( *cKinstry coded his o+n chatot +ith the !oal o$+innin! the 100(000 ?oener Prize $or %rti$icial "ntelli!ence( +hich used a variation o$ the Turin! test.%$ter a $e+ -onths( ho+ever( *cKinstry aandoned the ot( insistin! that the pre-ise o$ the test +as $la+ed. e developed an alternative yardstic,$or %"( +hich he called the *ini-u- "ntelli!ent i!nal Test. The idea +as to li-it hu- an4co-puter dialo! to 6uestions that re6uired yesLno ans+ers.A"s Earth roundM "s the s,y lueM "$ a - achine could correctly ans+er as -any 6uestions as a hu-an( then that -achine +as intelli!ent.2"ntelli!ence didn/t depend on the and+idth o$ the co--unication channelH intelli!ence could e co--unicated +ith one it92 he later + rote.On &uly C( 1))( *cKinstry lo!!ed on to co-p.ai to announce the 2"nternet 3ide E$$ort to #reate an %rti$icial #onsciousness.2 e +ould a-ass adataase o$ si-ple $actual assertions $ro- people across the 3e. 2" +ould store -y -odel o$ the hu-an -ind in inary propositions(2 he said in alashdot N@%in '000. 2% !iant dataase o$ these propositions could e used to train a neural net to -i-ic a conscious( thin,in!( $eelin! hu-anein!92July 1))+: c4instry announces ,Internet Wide 5ffort to %reate an Artificial %onsciousness, 3ie/ full pa$e

The idea +asn/t ne+. Dou! ?enat( a $or-er tan$ord researcher( had een $eedin! in$or-ation into a dataase called #ycApronounced 2psych2 since1)8;. 23e/re no+ in a position to speci$y the steps re6uired to rin! a %?4li,e ein! into existence(2 ?enat +rote in 1))G. tep one +as to 2pri-e thepu-p +ith the -illions o$ everyday ter-s( concepts( $acts( and rules o$ thu- that co- prise hu-an consensus reality that is( co--on sense.2 Butthe process o$ addin! data to #yc +as laorious and costly( re6uirin! a special pro!ra--in! lan!ua!e and trained data4entry +or,ers.#yc + as a decent start( *cKinstry thou!ht( ut +hy not 7ust !et v olunteers to input all that co--onsense data in plain En!lishM The state-ents couldthen e translated into a -achine4readale $or-at at so-e later date. But *cKinstry/s !rand vision to harness the collective po+er o$ the "nternetco--unity to create an arti$icial intelli!ence had one serious $la+: The "nternet co--unity thou!ht he +as nuts.*cKinstry had een postin! $or years( detailin! his research( his theories( and his personal li$e. e +as ,no+n in ne+s!roups pri-arily $or hisoutlandish rants and tall tales. e clai-ed to have een a -illionaire at a!e 1G. e detailed his police stando$$and his experiences droppin! acidA2"+andered do+nto+n Toronto thin,in! and actin! as i$ " + as !od2."n Dece-er 1))( snar,y !ee,s created a ne+s!roup in his honor( alt.-c,instry.pencil4dic,( ta,in! as its charter 2Discussion o$ senet ,oo,*cKinstry( a,a /*c#hi-p./2 ?eadin! the ri!ade +as &orn Bar!er( +ho +ould later run the site

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But the 3e co--unity +as duious. The reason: *cKinstry. 2o+ is it any less -oronic than *indpixelM2 Bar!er replied. %nother poster a!reed:2hould e ovious y no+ that these %" !uys ... are the -ost success$ul con artists o$ our ti-e.22*indpixel isn/t -oronic( it/s coura!eous(2 in!h responded. 2" disa!ree +ith ho+ *cKinstrey is doin! it Aas a co-pany( !ivin! out shares/ that +illnever have any value( instead o$ -a,in! it pulic i--ediately. %nd the *indpixel idea o$ trainin! up a neural net+or,/ + ith the dataase is clearlyridiculous. " also elieve our inter$ace is etter.2"t didn/t ta,e *cKinstry lon! to respond. 2Jirst( no e/ in *cKinstry(2 he $ired ac,. 2%nd second( your state-ent is -isleadin!. The dataase ispulically sic availale ri!ht no+( 7ust not $or co--ercial use.2 *cKinstry ristled at in!h/s dis-issal o$ his stoc, plan. 2The-s $i!htin/ +ords92 %ndi$ in!h $elt *indpixel +as 2clearly ridiculous(2 perhaps he/d e +illin! to et on +hose dataase +ould e $irst to achieve intelli!enceM %s $or the di! athis site/s inter$ace( *cKinstry conceded that Open *ind/s +as etter( ut la-ed it on his lac, o$ resources: 2 ou didn/t have to +rite it all y yourloneso-e.2*cKinstry insisted that *indpixel had one si!ni$icant advanta!e over Open *ind: e re6uired his contriutor4shareholders to veri$y the accuracy o$each other/s su-issions. 2The net is a very open place(2 he +rote. 2o+ do you ,eep !ara!e out +ithout any $or- o$ validation -echanis-M ... %llyou have to do is try to i-a!ine lashdot +ithout the -oderation syste- to see +hat/s !oin! to happen to your dataase.2*cKinstry had een stun! y in!h/s criticis-s. But the $act that in!h called *indpixel 2coura!eous2 and +as pursuin! a si-ilar pro7ect !ave hi- asense o$ validation. is response to Bar!er sounds triu-phant. 2o+ -any years have you een $i!htin! this idea o$ -ine here in these ne+s !roupsM2he cro+ed. 2o+ " !uess the +hole *"T *edia ?a is crazy tooM2M!ins$r& sa$ a$ #is !o+($eruploadin! state-ents to in!h/s Open *ind dataase. 2Don %da-s played *ax+ell -art. Trees don/t haveneurons. &esus +as a superstar. *arvin *ins,y +as alive in '001. ouses don/t eat por,.2 One thou!ht led to the next in a revealin! $ree association.2Push is nor-ally a ver(2 he typed. 2*cKinstry is co-petin! +ith Push.2%ctually( *cKinstry +as hopin! to $or!e a partnership +ith in!h. "n '000( he hinted to his shareholders that *indpixel and Open *ind #o--onense +ere !oin! to connect their dataases. in!h initially did nothin! to dispel this i-pression. 2#hris is a !ood !uy(2he told 3ired e+s.*cKinstry/s -ind turned o$ten to in!h. They had so -uch in co--on: T+o youn! researchers osessed +ith si-ulatin! co--on sense. Both#anadian. Both et4savvy.?i,e *cKinstry( in!h +as convinced that the potential o$ arti$icial intelli!ence +as enor-ous. 2" elieve that %" +ill succeed +here philosophy$ailed(2 he had +ritten on his *"T ho-epa!e. 2"t +ill provide us +ith the ideas +e need to understand( once and $or all( +hat e-otions are.2%ccordin! to Bo *or!an( a $ello+ student at *"T( in!h su!!ested that !ivin! co--on sense to co-puters +ould solve all the +orld/s prole-s.

2Even starvation in %$ricaM2 *or!an as,ed.in!h paused. 2eah( " thin, so.2But in!h/s a-itions +ere -odest and !rounded co-pared +ith *cKinstry/s. The -an ehind *indpixel +as certain that his dataase +ouldeco-e a thin,in! -achine in the near $uture. The $ather o$ a son $ro- his rie$ -arria!e in the /)0s( he so-eti-es re$erred to F%# as his secondchild. e elieved that he +ould e reco!nized as one o$ the !reat scienti$ic -inds in history. 2e thou!ht he deserved a oel Prize(2 says a $riend+ho lo!s under the handle%lphaet oup. 2e co-pared hi-sel$ to Einstein and Turin!. e said F%# + ould -a,e hi- i--ortal.2*cKinstry -eant that part aout i-- ortality literally. 2The only di$$erence et+een you and -e is the sa-e as the di$$erence et+een any t+o *P5s its(2 he +rote in an%-azon.co- revie+o$!o/ We eca&e

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Push in!h.2A4$er !o+(%e$in,his dissertation( in!h +as o$$ered a 7o as pro$essor at the *"T *edia ?a. e +ould e teachin! alon!side his -entor( *ins,y(+ho credited hi- +ith helpin! to develop -any o$ the ideas in his ne+ oo,( The 5&otion achine: %o&&onsense Thinkin$* Artificial Intelli$ence*and the -uture of the !u&an ind. e +ould have the resources to pursue his drea- o$ 2solvin! %".2 Be$ore assu-in! his position( thou!h( hedecided to ta,e ti-e o$$( as he told a $riend( 2to thin,.2Everythin! in in!h/s li$e see-ed to e !oin! +ell. e +as en7oyin! a relationship +ith a !irl$riend +ho +or,ed at the la. The I555 Intelli$entSyste&s%dvisory Board( a consortiu- o$ top %" $i!ures around the +orld( had selected hi- as one o$ the top 10 researchers representin! the $uture o$the $ield.But privately( in!h +as su$$erin!. e had severely in7ured his ac, +hile - ovin! $urniture( and thou!h h e did his est to stay en!a!ed on ca-pus(collea!ues noticed that he +as distracted. e told a $riend( Eyal %-ir( that there +ere ti-es +hen he +as incapale o$ doin! anythin! ecause o$ theexcruciatin! pain. o-e thou!ht it + as clinical depression. #ollea!ue Dustin -ith as,ed( 2o+ -uch o$ your attention is on the pain at a !iven-o-entM2in!h replied( 2*ore than hal$.2"n The 5&otion achine( *ins,y su!!ests that chronic pain is a ,ind o$ 2pro!ra--in! u!.2 e +rites that 2the cascades that +e call u$$erin!/-ust have evolved $ro- earlier sche-es that helped us to li-it our in7uries y providin! the !oal o$ escapin! $ro- pain. Evolution never had anysense o$ ho+ a species -i!ht evolve next so it did not anticipate ho+ pain -i!ht disrupt our $uture hi!h4level ailities. 3e ca-e to evolve a desi!nthat protects our odies ut ruins our -inds.2Jour +ee,s a$ter #hris *cKinstry co--itted suicide( the police +ere dispatched to an apart-ent at 1010 *assachusetts %venue near *"T. "nside(

they $ound the 554year4old in!h. e had connected a hose $ro- a tan, o$ heliu- !as to a a! taped around his head. e +as dead.Ma#en"er Sin,#still has the root that his son created in hi!h school. 2e thou!ht that co-puters should thin, as you and " thin,(2 he says. 2ethou!ht it +ould chan!e the + orld. " +as so proud o$ hi-( and no+ " don/t ,no+ + hat to do +ithout hi-. is -other cries every day.22"$ anyone + as the $uture o$ the *edia ?a( it +as Push(2 +rote the director o$ the la( Jran, *oss( in a -ass e-ail on *arch ;( '00G. % -e-orial+i,i pa!e +as set up( and $riends and collea!ues posted dozens o$ testi-onials as +ell as pictures o$ the youn! researcher. 2is loss is indescriale(2*ins,y +rote. 23e could co--unicate so -uch and so 6uic,ly in so very $e+ +ords( as thou!h +e +ere parts o$ a sin!le -ind.2in!h/s childhood $riend