Computers  

At this year's SXSW Conference, Stephen Wolfram introduced Wolfram Language.  Now, video of his presentation shows some of  the profound implications of this new technology.

Imagine a future where there's no distinction between code and data. Where computers are operated by programming languages that work like human language, where knowledge and data are built in, where everything can be computed symbolically like the X and Y of school algebra problems. Where everything obvious is automated; the not-so-obvious revealed and made ready to explore. A future where billions of interconnected devices and ubiquitous networks can be readily harnessed by injecting computation.

"Of the various things I've been trying to explain, this is one of the more difficult ones."

That's the future Stephen Wolfram has pursued for over 25 years: Mathematica, the computable knowledge of Wolfram|Alpha, the dynamic interactivity of Computable Document Format, and soon, the universally accessible and computable model of the world made possible by the Wolfram Language and Wolfram Engine.

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"Of the various things I've been trying to explain, this is one of the more difficult ones," Wolfram told Wired recently. What Wolfram Language essentially does, is work like a plug-in-play system for programmers, with many subsystems already in place.  Wolfram calls this knowledge-based programming.

Wolfram Language has a vast depth of built-in algorithms and knowledge, all automatically accessible through its elegant unified symbolic language. Scalable for programs from tiny to huge, with immediate deployment locally and in the cloud, the Wolfram Language builds on clear principles to create what Wolfram claims will be the world's most productive programming language.

In the video above recorded at SXSW this year as he introduced Wolfram Language, Wolfram discusses the profound implications of this new future on product development, industry, and research, and demonstrate new technology that will soon be part of our present.


SOURCE  SXSW

By 33rd Square

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 Artificial Intelligence  

Since the publication of James Barrat's Our Final Invention, one of the key featured artificial intelligence thinkers featured in the book has garnered a lot of interest. Recently, Steve Omohundro was interviewed on the Singularity 1 on 1 podcast.

Steve Omohundro is a scientist, professor, author, and entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in physics but has spent decades studying intelligent systems and artificial intelligence. His research into the basic “AI Drives” was featured in James Barrat’s recent book Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era that has been generating international interest.

Recently Omohundro was interviewed on Nikola Danaylov's Singularity 1 on 1 podcast (video above).

Related articles The Rise of Artificial Intelligence  James Barrat on Our Final Invention  James Miller Discusses Aspects of the Singularity

During their conversation Omohundro and Danaylov cover a variety of interesting topics such as: Omohundro's personal path starting with a PhD in physics and ending into AI; his unique time with Richard Feynman; the goals, motivation and vision behind is work; Omai Ventures and Self Aware Systems; the definition of AI; Rational Decision Making and the Turing Test; provably safe mathematical systems and AI scaffolding.

The pair also cover hard vs soft Singularity take-offs.

Omohundro has been a scientist, professor, author, software architect, and entrepreneur doing research that explores the interface between mind and matter. He has degrees in Physics and Mathematics from Stanford and a Ph.D. in Physics from U.C. Berkeley. He was a computer science professor at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and cofounded the Center for Complex Systems Research.

He published the book Geometric Perturbation Theory In Physics, designed the programming languages StarLisp and Sather, wrote the 3D graphics system for Mathematica, and built systems which learn to read lips, control robots, and induce grammars. He has worked with many research labs and startup companies.

Omohundro is the president of Self-Aware Systems which is developing a new kind of semantic software technology. In addition to his scientific work, Steve is passionate about human growth and transformation. He has trained in Rosenberg’s Non-Violent Communication, Gendlin’s Focusing, Travell’s Trigger Point Therapy, Bohm’s Dialogue, Beck’s Life Coaching, and Schwarz’s Internal Family Systems Therapy. He is working to integrate human values into technology and to ensure that intelligent technologies contribute to the greater good.


SOURCE  Singularity Weblog

By 33rd Square

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