With every new Darpa venture, it seems more like military machines are becoming human. Or humans are becoming military machines. Or some compu-human teamwork fusion of the two.
The latest step follows up on previous research into automaton storytellers and mind-reading computers with a call for new ways to create machines that have complex, layered thinking and reasoning abilities. You know, kind of like those of the human brain.
The agency just released a request for proposals that would further Darpa’s mission to create thinking computers. These "deep learning" machines would take in, process. and interpret complicated data or sensory inputs that might overwhelm delicate human synapses. The system would be especially helpful, the agency says, in stressful war-time situations – or when military staffers get really bored. "The training of humans is both expensive and time-consuming. Human performance also varies due to individuals’ capabilities and training, fatigue, boredom, and human attentional capacity," Darpa sighs...
