中西方美学是思想差异_西方世界的大脑是神经形态芯片

Do you believe Westworld brains are so far away from reality? That they are only a work of complete fiction, with no base in reality? If that is the case continue reading and you will find more about an extremely interesting and new field of science. The science of building artificial brains: neuromorphic computing.

您相信西方世界的大脑离现实如此遥远吗？ 难道它们只是一部完整的小说，没有现实依据吗？ 如果真是这样，请继续阅读，您将找到有关一个非常有趣的新科学领域的更多信息。 建立人工大脑的科学：神经形态计算。

从自然到技术-人脑 (From nature to technology — the human brain)

Humanity has always looked out in nature for inspiration. Most of our technology is inspired by mechanisms that are already working in nature. We just took those mechanisms and built our own devices in their image. We did not imitate nature exactly, but rather modified the structure while keeping the functionality intact. Or even improve it.

人类一直在自然界中寻找灵感。 我们大多数技术的灵感都来自已经在大自然中发挥作用的机制。 我们只是采用了这些机制，并在其映像中构建了自己的设备。 我们没有完全模仿自然，而是在保持功能完整的同时修改了结构。 甚至可以改善它。

The best example for this is how planes were created. Humans always dreamt about flying. But what inspired us to fly? It was nature, of course. We saw birds flying and we wanted to see how it feels to do so. In mythology, Icarus tried to fly by building literal wings so that he could flap his wings towards the sun, like birds do. That did not work out too well for him.

最好的示例是如何创建平面。 人类一直梦想着飞行。 但是，什么促使我们飞行呢？ 当然是自然。 我们看到鸟类在飞翔，我们想看看这样做的感觉。 在神话中，伊卡洛斯(Icarus)试图通过建立字面翅膀来飞翔，以便他可以像鸟一样朝太阳拍打翅膀。 那对他来说不是很好。

In the non-mythological arena, the airplane was created. It does look somewhat similar to a bird, but it works quite differently. It is way heavier, takes long to lift and is much slower in turning. However, it reaches speeds that birds can only dream of. In some areas we beat nature, while in others, nature still beats us. But the fact remains that birds taught us how to fly.

在非神话般的舞台上，飞机诞生了。 它看起来确实有点像鸟，但是工作原理却大不相同。 它比较重，举起需要很长时间，转弯时要慢得多。 但是，它达到了鸟类只能梦想的速度。 在某些领域，我们战胜了自然，而在另一些领域，自然战胜了我们。 但是事实仍然是鸟类会教我们如何飞行。

In some areas we beat nature, while in others, nature still beats us.

在某些领域，我们战胜了自然，而在另一些领域，自然战胜了我们。

The same thing is now happening with the human brain. We are finding more and more about the way it works. It inspired us to create software algorithms, like neural networks, which started the artificial intelligence revolution. They, as in the case of birds and planes, do not work exactly like the brain’s neural networks. But the biological neurons inspired us to build the artificial neurons. Now it inspires us to create hardware devices that imitate the brain and its internal mechanisms.

人类的大脑现在正在发生同样的事情。 我们发现它的工作方式越来越多。 它启发了我们创建诸如神经网络之类的软件算法，从而引发了人工智能革命。 与鸟类和飞机一样，它们的工作方式并不完全像大脑的神经网络。 但是生物神经元启发了我们建立人工神经元。 现在，它启发了我们去创造模仿大脑及其内部机制的硬件设备。

In the future, those hardware devices may look just like the brain of Dolores and the other androids in Westworld. Some 3-dimensional cubes, full of artificial neurons that gives those robots the ability to control their bodies. However, right now most chip designs are focused on the two-dimensional space, as it is less expensive and much easier to build.

将来，这些硬件设备可能看起来就像Dolores和Westworld中其他机器人的大脑。 一些充满人工神经元的3维立方体，使这些机器人可以控制自己的身体。 但是，目前大多数芯片设计都集中在二维空间上，因为它价格便宜且易于构建。

Of course, they will not be conscious or try to destroy all humanity, as depicted in the movie. We will be able to teach those artificial brains how to do mundane tasks in the beginning. This way we will remove mundane and repetitive jobs from the world by creating robots that process every task locally, in their “brains”. This will leave much more space for people to do more creative and complex jobs.

当然，正如电影中所描绘的那样，他们不会有意识或试图破坏全人类。 我们将能够从一开始就教会那些人工大脑如何执行日常任务。 这样，我们将通过创建在本地“大脑”中处理每个任务的机器人，从世界上消除繁琐而重复的工作。 这将为人们留下更多的空间来从事更多创造性和复杂的工作。

什么是意识？ (What abut consciousness?)

The conscious brain is a much more complex mystery. We cannot yet define what consciousness is or how it “works”. Yet most people are afraid that we will create a conscious AI. The question is, how can you create something you do not even understand? We created planes by knowing the laws of physics that govern them. How then can we create conscious robots or artificial intelligence?

有意识的大脑是一个更为复杂的谜团。 我们尚无法定义意识是什么或意识如何“起作用”。 但是大多数人担心我们会创建有意识的AI。 问题是，如何创建甚至不了解的内容？ 我们通过了解控制飞机的物理定律来创建飞机。 那我们如何才能创造出有意识的机器人或人工智能呢？

The only way that may be possible is by using the same mechanisms that created consciousness in humans. Those mechanisms are genetic algorithms and natural evolution. We could simulate an environment that can make evolution happen much, much faster than it took in the case of humans. To condense millions of years in a few years and hope that consciousness is born out of artificial evolution. Then, maybe, conscious devices could be born.

唯一可能的方法是使用在人类中创造意识的相同机制。 这些机制是遗传算法和自然进化。 我们可以模拟一个环境，该环境可以使进化发生的速度比人类的发生速度快得多。 在几年内凝结数百万年，并希望意识源于人工进化。 然后，也许有意识的设备可能诞生。

But do we really need conscious devices?

但是我们真的需要有意识的设备吗？