VIRTUAL SCIENTIST

The AUTOGNOME,

a “VIRTUAL SCIENTIST”

·         Automated Autonomous Inquiry/Inference Technologies (AIT’s) are the essence-to-be of the Virtual World generally, and specifically of E-Business in the Global Network Economy. The competitive edge will favor those with the highest relative measure of effectiveness of their respective AIT’s, both intensively (depth of applicability) and extensively (breadth of varying technologies encompassed). This will be true of business-in-general and, hence, of specific technology industries/commerce in particular. The dilemma facing the users of AIT’s is the wide range of seemingly distinct forms or, more to the point, the differing theoretical origins implicit therein.  Common to each of these, however is an effort intended to emulate, at least in part, some process(es) of human intelligence.  Hence, the dominance of the brain-inspired Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications proliferation.

·         Modern computing capacity (including both memory and speed) has enabled AI to grow in depth and breadth of performance in narrow applications such as machine vision, speech recognition, bioinformatics and health care decisions, all of which are impressive and of substantial human and commercial value. On the other hand, the distance between contemporary AI systems and many other presumed characteristics of mind and intelligence, such as performing logical reasoning, carrying on a conversation with another intelligent being, or explaining itself, is as great as ever in the history of AI. "Real" intelligence--if humans are to be a guide--includes a broad range of capabilities such as creativity, resourcefulness, social cooperation, and so on, that are far from the reach of the high-profile, commercially compelling approaches of AI.

·         As an alternative view of AIT development, SCC’s AutoGnome (AG) Technology treats the process of theory (and model) generation to be an exemplary pinnacle in the evolution of human intelligence.  Hence, a theory of the process of theory generation would itself be a comprehensive theory of intelligence/mind modeling the fundamental capability that enables humans to learn, adapt, and cooperate as they do--by creating, using, and refining a system of signs by and for itself. This ability makes the AutoGnome a superior approach to intelligent machines that will work closely with humans as CyberGnomes, first learning from them, then emulating them, and finally partnering with them as autonomous minds in advancing knowledge.

·         One such application is in collaborative man-machine communities of inquiry & inference (COI), such as in scientific research and community decision making. The type of intelligence required to participate in such a community includes full participation in the constant use and refinement of the natural and formal (e.g. mathematical) languages (systems of signs) used to reflect the growing collective knowledge and experience of the community. It also requires the ability to learn and understand the differences between individuals and how to interact with them as individuals. Hence the AutoGnome as an autonomous Synthetic Mind (Clone), both in the form of an individual or collective SynMind, has powerful instantiations as Virtual Scientists.

·         The problem visited upon AIT development of alternatives to AI is that for decades the funding sources have all but exclusively been committed to AI. Clearly the investment returns have been and remain rewarding. Amongst the various funding opportunity waves that we have experienced in our near-term past, most being relatively ordinary, although occasionally attractive, none have implicated the potential of the present synchronous circumstance of the DARPA Next Generation Social Science Project, which Charles River Analytics (CRA) is aggressively addressing, and the March for Science on Earth Day 2017, which has the unanswered problem of after the March of how to effect the continuous evolution of a reformed science.

·         Obviously, TSI-SCC’s AG [CRA-TSI] Collective Intelligent—Virtual Innovation Network is THE SOLUTION which has been long awaiting THE PROBLEM to be expressed in an accepting environment such as this synchronous circumstance. This is a rare opportunity for TSI/SCC both technologically (Science) and promotionally (Earth Day). This is our EPIC OPPORTUNITY WAVE to mount and ride. With our collective body, mind and spirit of science, focused on solving this problem, we can convince Humanity that the AG approach to creating a Synthetic Intelligence (AutoGnome=Mind Clone) has a key instantiation as a Virtual Scientist (autonomous inquiry and inference-deductive, inductive, and abductive) thus enabling the democratization of access for everyone to participate in Knowledge Creation, Discovery, Organization, Implementation and Sharing.