The article implies that we will or ought to arrive at the point where a machine can appreciate why an image is funny in the same complex way that a human can. Not to discount the value of AI Vision research and technology, but at some point we must ask "why".
Partly the question goes to the difference between artificial intelligence, and artificial consciousness. According to some definitions, the former is ability to produce relevant information, while the latter is an autonomous system capable of using that information for self interest.
For example, no matter how complex a system like Watson is, it's no more conscious than a rock. Meanwhile, rudimentary life form is something we are nowhere near replicating artificially. This distinction is quite important, and very intelligent AI pundits seem to fail to make it (or understand it?).
While we are quite capable of producing intelligence artificially, the capacities associated with the consciousness become confused easily in the mind. While some intelligence is easy to produce with machines, there are some problems of experience that simply cannot be solved by artificial intelligence, and require consciousness.
But let's be clear: producing an artificial consciousness is orders of magnitude more complex an engineering challenge than building an artificial intelligence machine.
It is also potentially enormously destructive: many times more difficult to create, and at least as destructive as atomic bomb.
Partly the question goes to the difference between artificial intelligence, and artificial consciousness. According to some definitions, the former is ability to produce relevant information, while the latter is an autonomous system capable of using that information for self interest.
For example, no matter how complex a system like Watson is, it's no more conscious than a rock. Meanwhile, rudimentary life form is something we are nowhere near replicating artificially. This distinction is quite important, and very intelligent AI pundits seem to fail to make it (or understand it?).
While we are quite capable of producing intelligence artificially, the capacities associated with the consciousness become confused easily in the mind. While some intelligence is easy to produce with machines, there are some problems of experience that simply cannot be solved by artificial intelligence, and require consciousness.
But let's be clear: producing an artificial consciousness is orders of magnitude more complex an engineering challenge than building an artificial intelligence machine.
It is also potentially enormously destructive: many times more difficult to create, and at least as destructive as atomic bomb.