Alan Wagner

Biography

I believe that the search for intelligence is the heart of AI. The research of AI patriarchs like Turing and Minsky has often centered on the challenge of defining and imbuing intelligence with respect to a machine. Recent AI research has (sadly in my opinion) neglected this original quest and taken a more pragmatic approach to AI. This de novo approach to AI emphasizes systems engineering and iterative improvement of machine performance. I think that it is important for AI to return to its roots and renew its commitment to the purpose of using computers to understand and recreate intelligence in a machine. This is my overarching research theme.
I am also interested in AI and HRI methodology. In particular, I am interested in developing repeatable, falsifiable methods to explore human-robot relations.