[theory students] Chaos and Complex Systems Seminar Tuesday, Nov. 13 (fwd)

[Eric Bach <bach@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

FYI. --Eric

Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2018 19:38:22 +0000
From: ROBIN S CHAPMAN <rschapma@xxxxxxxx>

On Tuesday, November 13, 2018, 12:05-1:00 p.m. in 4274 Chamberlin Hall, Bill
Hibbard, UW Space Science and Engineering Center, will discuss "Artificial
general intelligence." Abstract: In the early 1960s Ray Solomonoff combined
Turing's theory of computation with Shannon's information theory to create
algorithmic information theory. The Kolmogorov complexity of a binary string
is defined as the length of the shortest program that computes the string.
Solomonoff used a related measure as the basis for an (uncomputable but
approximable) universal induction algorithm for predicting arbitrary binary
strings. In the early 2000's Marcus Hutter combined this induction algorithm
with sequential decision theory to define his universal AI that maximizes
expected rewards from arbitrary environments, and to define a formal measure
of intelligence. This work led to conferences and journals dedicated to the
mathematical study of properties of artificial general intelligence (AGI)
systems, including ways that they may fail to conform to the intentions of
their designers and ways to design systems that do conform to their design
intentions. These problems are not resolved and research is very active.
While some mainstream AI developers criticize AGI theory, the creators of
some of the most successful AI systems (e.g., Google DeepMind) are also
deeply involved in this AGI research. Practical versions of Hutter's
universal AI are called Bayesian program learning and in some ways they
outperform the deep learning algorithms that are revolutionizing AI.

Refreshments will be served.

Short List, Remaining Speakers:
  *  Nov 20, 2018 - Clint Sprott, Physics
  *  Nov 27, 2018 - Alex Lazarian, Astronomy
  *  Dec 4, 2018 - Michael Notaro and Rose Pertzborn, Nelson Institute Center
     for Climatic Research
  *  Dec 11, 2018 - Tim Smeeding, Lafollette School of Public Affairs