In existographies, Todd Hylton (c.1960-) (CR:5) is an American machine learning (Ѻ) theorist and entrepreneur, noted for []
Overview
In the 2000s, Hylton working in the area of semiconductor equipment, themed on chips whose architecture is inspired by brain architecture. [1]
In 2009, Hylton, working at DARPA, conceived of his theory of “physical intelligence”, which supposes that intelligence spontaneously evolves as a consequence of thermodynamics in open systems, and that such types of evolved intelligences can be built from chemical and electrical components. [2] The ramifications of this, being conceived as a type of applied human thermodynamics, in the area of war thermodynamics.
In 2018, Hylton, gave a TED talk entitled “Is the Universe a Product of Thermodynamic Evolution?”, wherein purports to give a “non-mechanistic” (the universe is NOT mechanistic”), “anti-supernatural” (there is NO creator), “evolutionary worldview” (Darwin runs the universe?), to explain how things, such as bugs and humans, come to exist; at the end of which he concludes with the posit that some day we will make “thermodynamic computers” that evolve on their own”.
There is some sense in his talk, when he references “potentials” and how things come together owing to these potentials, and how he digresses on causality (compare: Sociology 23), but some of his talk is a bit off, e.g. his idea that the universe is not mechanistic (compare: Holbach's geomatrician), that thermodynamic computers (think: terminator scenario) can become new chemical species, or something along these lines. His general philosophy, baring prolonged digression in areas of greenhorn confusion, at least, is in the correct direction, comparatively speaking.
Difficulties
See main: Machine evolution scenario
As to difficulties on theory, the central problem of Hylton’s model of “thermodynamic computers” moving and evolving via “physical intelligence”, which is similar to that embedded in The Matrix (1999) film scenario, The Terminator (1984) film scenario, and or the “grey goo” problem, is that the “potentials”, which Hylton speaks of as being the driving force behind the evolution of matter, in the universe, namely thermodynamic potentials, the Gibbs potential specifically for earth-bound surface-reacting social systems, operate between or amid reactive CH-based animation types of chemical species, whereas no sort of similar reproductive Gibbs potential exists between Si-based types of animation, such as computers, CPUs, AI systems, or robots. Correctly, in the human chemical reaction purview, Si-based matter, as found in computers, CUPs, AI systems, or robots, are technically classified as “substrate”, which has the function to lower the activation energy barrier of social reactions.
Quotes | By
The following are quotes by Hylton:
“Existence derives from thermodynamic evolution.”
— Todd Hylton (2018), “Is the Universe a Product of Thermodynamic Evolution?” [3]
References
1. Todd Hylton (faculty) – University of California, San Diego.
2. (a) Physical Intelligence (PI) – DARPA-BAA-09-63 – FBO.org.
(b) DARPA – Wikipedia.
3. Hylton, Todd. (2018). “Is the Universe a Product of Thermodynamic Evolution?” (Ѻ) (abs), TEDx Talks, San Diego, Jan 3.
External links
● Todd Hylton – LinkedIn.
