Pei Wang's thoughts on AGI funding...

Potentially relevant ;-)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Pei Wang mail.peiwang@gmail.com
Date: Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Subject: [agi] The Strange Loop of AGI Funding: now logically proved!
To: agi@v2.listbox.com

PREMISES:

(1) AGI is one of the most complicated problem in the history of
science, and therefore requires substantial funding for it to happen.

(2) Since all previous attempts failed, investors and funding agencies
have enough reason to wait until a recognizable breakthrough to put
their money in.

(3) Since the people who have the money are usually not AGI
researchers (so won't read papers and books), a breakthrough becomes
recognizable to them only by impressive demos.

(4) If the system is really general-purpose, then if it can give an
impressive demo on one problem, it should be able to solve all kinds
of problems to roughly the same level.

(5) If a system already can solve all kinds of problems, then the
research has mostly finished, and won't need funding anymore.

CONCLUSION: AGI research will get funding when and only when the
funding is no longer needed anymore.

Q.E.D. :-(

Pei

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