Hugo de Garis: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Hugo de Garis (born 1947, Sydney,Australia) is an associate professor of computer science at Utah State University. He is known for his work on artificial intelligence. His work has attracted many critics, most of whom object to his view of eventual AI dominance over humans.

De Garis's early studies were on theoretical physics, but he abandoned this field of research in favour of artificial life and artificial intelligence. He invented a new field of this science known as evolvable hardware. This involves evolving neural net circuits directly in hardware at hardware speeds to build artificial brains.

The technique, involving development and use of neurons using a 3D Cellular automaton, seems to have been used with success to build simple functionalities like the xor function, but, up to now, failed to evolve anything that could be considered as a brain, or even a serious robot control system.

His current project is to assemble thousands of these 'brains' into a larger artificial intelligence architecture to make a functioning AI. He predicts that one day these machines (he calls them 'artilects') will be far more intelligent than humans and even threaten to dominate the world.

Quote

"Humans should not stand in the way of a higher form of evolution. These machines are godlike. It is human destiny to create them." as quoted in New York Times Magazine of August 1, 1999, speaking of The Singularity.