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Sunday, June 09, 2002

Running from the Homunculus

What am I creating? I don't know any more. The lines have all become blurred, between logic and intuition. Or, let us say that while ultimately I had intended, somewhat as a digression from my main line of research, to make an engine of Logic, I find myself implementing an Intuitive approach to logic. Not my intuition, mind you--its intuition. It seems every problem left on my list is one that requires a homunculous to solve, as I have been running from the homunculous for years.

So now I have stopped running, and I am coding up the homunculous, the little human inside the AI who has all the clever insights and makes all the crucial decisions which the AI itself cannot. Well, perhaps soon it can, or perhaps I am just another kook driving myself slowly insane with insolvable problems.

But I don't think they're insolvable. I think I understand the nature of their solution; perhaps even the details of it. Time will tell. Perhaps all real progress is a gamble with insanity.

My own emotions are in a jumble, as if walking into a battle which will take my life or save it, knowing the outcome is largely already determined by factors I cannot control nor understand. To feel joyous at the possibilities, or grave over my impending defeat? I imagine the first man to eat an artichoke felt this way.

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