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Functional Implementation One - Introduction to Interpretation

Thus far many of the main processes of Dasein have been uncovered, and we are ready to attempt to explain how they may function computationally.  The keystone on which it all rests is the nature of the function of Interpretation.

The only function that has been described within the model is Interpretation, variations on its input data providing subtle differences in its outcome and its various guises, derivative Interpretation, Anticipation etc..  As we shall see, there is one further mechanism that crucially alters the nature of Interpretation.  First, the basic nature of the algorithm shall be explained, then the general structure of Dasein as a whole in terms of Interpretation, and finally some notes on Interpretation.

Of course, there are, in fact, some very important emergent functions yet to be described, the phenomenon of perception and self awareness foremost amongst them.  Since these require the fully operating instance of Dasein to emerge in the first place, they shall be addressed in the next section.


Entity Interpretation

To understand the meaning and purpose of Interpretation in general, we shall take the case of the first Entity Interpretation as the example for all.  This picture shows an example of a first order Interpretation made in the primary visual cortex.

It is simple enough to understand that data resembling the World is presented to the cortex, and through Interpretation produces a modified set of the data.  In the case of humans and most if not all animals on Earth, information from the eyes is not presented directly, like a camera shot, as shown here.  Right from the retina, where photoreceptors first generate the sensory signals, there are mechanisms hard-wired by evolution to enhance the contrast of edges amongst other qualities of the image.  As a rule, however, such pre-processing is purely a result of energy constraints on the brain, which hogs about 20% of the body's energy requirements in humans; by hard-wiring what is evolutionarily important within the sense the work of Interpretation by the cortex is reduced, thus minimising the requirements for energy hungry grey matter.  In fact, in the general case it does not matter at all what is presented for Interpretation, provided the function is able handle the data in a timely manner given the environment within which it operates.

To understand how this seemingly meaningless function has produced anything like our philosophical conception of an Entity, one needs to ask, "what information is held by the Entity?" and to understand the answer to this question, we need to first understand the regulation of Interpretation.

Why Regulation?

This image shows our same World image of a tree from above, but here with three different "products of Interpretation".  Each is simply the original image passed through a filter or two in a paint program, the algorithmic process of which is quite similar to that performed by some sets of cortical neurons.
What anyone wishing to program such a machine would like to know is, assuming one type of algorithm is correct, which one should one use?  One can easily see that there are a practically infinite number of ways in which to filter a single image, and this in itself is enough to dissuade us from trying to decide upon a pattern recognition algorithm ourselves, but, we can be more concrete in our argument.

In the above cases, the data sets that are produced simply contain the source information and the nature of the algorithm used.  Indeed, if one were sufficiently smart, given both the original and the product it would be possible to reverse engineer the algorithm.  However, there is one more piece of information included; the intent of the creator, me.  The product data sets above are on their own completely meaningless, they do not represent a tree in any common understanding; in imposing the will of Dasein upon their creation, their meaning is subsumed into the intended meaning of the Dasein that effected their Being.

Thus the traditional models of AI that attempted to guide machines to "understanding" through periods of "learning" were always doomed to fail, all they ever served to do was imprint the knowledge and will of their misguided creators upon data banks, like writing a diary.

The only way for Interpretation to produce an Entity, to be ontological, is for Interpretation to be guided, regulated, by the greater, collective function of Dasein itself.  Thus, to understand Regulation we need to first view the completed model of Dasein in terms of Interpretation, which we shall do on the next page.

Summary
  • Interpretation cannot be prescribed by the They for if it is, then it is not ontological.
  • For Interpretation to be ontological, the function must be autonomous and/or lain down by Dasein itself.

Created 26th February 2009
Revised 7th May 2009