Logical Reasoning

PT147 · S1 · Q24 Biologist: Some computer scientists

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Biologist: Some computer scientists imagine that all that is required for making an artificial intelligence is to create a computer program that encapsulates the information contained in the human genome.

Conclusion

They are mistaken. (i.e. you would need more than just a computer program that encapsulates the information contained in the human genome to make artificial intelligence)

Evidence

The operation of the human brain is governed by the interactions of proteins whose structures are encoded in the human genome.

Evaluate

The conclusion is about "artificial intelligence" but the evidence doesn't mention this concept at all. That's a big warning that we must be assuming something about artificial intelligence.

The author is arguing that having the information contained in the human genome wouldn't be enough to make AI, and the author's big objection to that is that the human brain is governed by "the interactions of proteins".

I'm confused by what the author sees as the problem, but I think she's thinking,

Two objections come to mind: - who said that the computer program wouldn't be able to model those protein structures somehow?

- who said that the computer program needs to model those protein structures in order to achieve artificial intelligence?

Goal

If we were as lost as I felt on the first couple reads of this argument, we might at least be able to tell ourselves to look for an answer connecting "artificial intelligence" to these "interactions of proteins".

If we're a little more dialed in, we're probably looking for something like - computer could not replicate the interactions of proteins or - computer needs to replicate the interactions of proteins in order to achieve artificial intelligence

24.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the biologist’s argument?

The functions of the human
Too Strong: cannot be simulated
This argument isn't saying that "computers will never be able to simulate functions of the brain, such as intelligence". It's saying that "having all the info contained in the human genome isn't enough to simulate functions of the brain, such as intelligence." If we negate this and say, "Hey author, the functions of the brain can be simulated by a computer", it doesn't weaken. She could say, "I agree --- but the computer would need more than just the info in the human genome."
13% picked this
Correct
The interactions of the proteins
Why this is right
On Necessary Assumption, answers that are ruling out something using words like "no / not" are very lovable. That is a common form of a correct answer. So if you felt very clueless on this problem, the smartest guess would be to avoid the answers with extreme or comparative wording and pick the answer with ruling-out wording. This answer is essentially matching our prediction that the author was assuming, "computers wouldn't be able to replicate the interactions of the proteins". The author was thinking, "Part of the info encoded in the human genome is the structures of these proteins, whose interactions govern the operation of the human brain. But the interactions aren't encoded in the genome. So if a computer only had the info in the human genome, it wouldn't be enough to achieve AI. The info in the genome would allow the computer to build these protein structures, but [she assumes] it wouldn't tell those structures how to interact in the way they do in our brain to achieve intelligence." If we negate this answer, it's saying that "the interactions are determined by the info in the human genome." This would hurt the argument because it would make it seem like the author's objection was a non-objection. The author would be arguing, "The info in the genome isn't enough for intelligence. After all, the brain needs these interactions of proteins!" And our negation would be saying, "Chill, dude. The info in the genome actually includes info that determines these interactions of proteins."
Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
72% picked this
The only way to create
Too Strong: the only way
Our author's conclusion is only making a claim that one specific route to AI would fail. She is saying, "If you were trying to do AI with just the info in the human genome, it wouldn't be enough." Saying that isn't committing in any way to the notion that AI must come from modeling on the human brain. It's only saying that AI couldn't be modeled on the human brain if all you had was info from the genome.
7% picked this
The amount of information contained
Out of Scope: too large / easily
Nothing in the argument is discussing the size of information in the human genome or the ease of encapsulation. Negating this get us, "the amount of info in the human genome could potentially be easily encapsulated by a computer program". That wouldn't hurt the argument at all, because the argument is based on a hypothetical where a computer program has encapsulated the info in the human genome. Since this argument takes place in that hypothetical world, the author hasn't made any assumptions about what is actually the case.
3% picked this
It is much more difficult
Irrelevant Comparison: difficult
Just like (D), this answer is talking about the feasibility of actually trying to encapsulate information into a computer program. This argument is only addressing a hypothetical world where we have successfully encapsulated the human genome in a computer program. It doesn't matter how hard or easy the process was. The author's only point is that this computer program, possessing only the info in the human genome, wouldn't have enough to achieve AI.
6% picked this

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