Developmental Cost for Models of Intelligence

Abstract

We can evaluate models of natural intelligence, as well as theirindividual components, by using a model of hardware and developmentcosts, ignoring almost all the details of biology. The basic argumentis that neither the gross anatomy of the brain nor the behavior ofindividual cells nor the behavior of the whole poses sufficientconstraint on the algorithms that might run within the brain, but thatthe process of engineering an intelligence under this cost model posessimilar challenges to those faced by a human growing from a singlecell to an adult. This will allow us to explore architectural ideasfreely, yet retain confidence that when a system works, the principlesallowing it to work are likely to be similar to those that allow humanintelligence to work.