Selmer Bringsjord
{{short description|American computer and cognitive scientist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}{{Infobox academic
| name = Selmer Bringsjord
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|11|24}}
| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|University of Pennsylvania (BS)|Brown University (PhD)}}
| workplaces = {{unbulleted list|Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute}}
| discipline = Artificial Intelligence
| sub_discipline = Automated Reasoning
| doctoral_advisor = Roderick Chisholm
| thesis_title = The Failure of Computationalism
| thesis_year = 1987
}}
Selmer Bringsjord (born November 24, 1958) is a professor of computer science and cognitive science and a former chair of the Department of Cognitive Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.{{cite web | url=http://www.cogsci.rpi.edu/pl/faculty-staff-cogsci |accessdate=2015-07-18|publisher=Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute|title=Cognitive Science Department: People}} He also holds an appointment in the Lally School of Management & Technology and teaches artificial Intelligence (AI), formal logic, human and machine reasoning, and philosophy of AI.
Biography
Bringsjord's education includes a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Brown University, where he studied under Roderick Chisholm.{{Cite web |title=Ph.D.s Awarded, 1970-2000 {{!}} Philosophy {{!}} Brown University |url=https://philosophy.brown.edu/graduate/phds-awarded/1970-2000 |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=philosophy.brown.edu |language=en}} He conducts research in AI as the director of the Rensselaer AI & Reasoning (RAIR) Laboratory. He specializes in the logico-mathematical and philosophical foundations of AI and cognitive science, and in collaboratively building AI systems on the basis of computational logic.{{cite web |title=Rensselaer Artificial Intelligence and Reasoning (RAIR) Faculty: People |url=http://www.cogsci.rpi.edu/pl/faculty-staff-cogsci/selmer-bringsjord |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721191714/http://www.cogsci.rpi.edu/pl/faculty-staff-cogsci/selmer-bringsjord |archive-date=2015-07-21 |accessdate=2015-07-18 |publisher=Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute}}
Bringsjord believes that "the human mind will forever be superior to AI", and that "much of what many humans do for a living will be better done by indefatigable machines who require not a cent in pay". Bringsjord has stated that the "ultimate growth industry will be building smarter and smarter such machines on the one hand, and philosophizing about whether they are truly conscious and free on the other".
Bringsjord has an argument for P = NP using digital physics.{{cite web|url=http://kryten.mm.rpi.edu/scb_pnp_solved22.pdf|title=An Argument for P = NP|author=Selmer Bringsjord|author2=Joshua Taylor |date=May 31, 2005|accessdate=2006-11-28}} Other research includes developing a new computational-logic framework allowing the formalization of deliberative multi-agent "mindreading" as applied to the realm of nuclear strategy, with the goal of creating a model and simulation to enable reliable prediction.{{cite web|url=http://kryten.mm.rpi.edu/SB_NSG_SE_EM_JL_nuclear_mindreading_062313.pdf|title=Nuclear Deterrence and the Logic of Deliberative Mindreading|author1=Selmer Bringsjord |author2=Naveen Sundar G. |author3=Simon Ellis |author4=Evan McCarty |author5=John Licato |name-list-style=amp |date=August 9, 2013|accessdate=2015-07-18}} He has published an opinion piece advocating for counter-terrorism security ensured by pervasive, all-seeing sensors; automated reasoners; and autonomous, lethal robots.{{cite web|url=http://kryten.mm.rpi.edu/NEWSP/Only_Technology_Can_Tame_Terror_080907.pdf|title=Only a Technology Triad can Tame Terror|author=Selmer Bringsjord|date=August 9, 2007|accessdate=2007-08-16}}
Bringsjord received a National Science Foundation award to research Social Robotics{{cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0722277|title=NSF Awards|accessdate=2018-03-05}} and the Covey Award{{cite web|url=http://www.iacap.org/awards/|title=IACAP Prize Awards|date=21 February 2011|accessdate=2018-03-05}} for the advancement of philosophy of computing awarded by the International Association for Computing And Philosophy, among several others prizes.
Books authored
- with Yang, Y. Mental Metalogic: A New, Unifying Theory of Human and Machine Reasoning (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum).(2007)
- with Zenzen, M. Superminds: People Harness Hypercomputation, and More (Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer). (2003) {{ISBN|978-1402010958}}
- with Ferrucci, D. Artificial Intelligence and Literary Creativity: Inside the Mind of Brutus, A Storytelling Machine (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum).(2000)
- Abortion: A Dialogue (Indianapolis, IN: Hackett).(1997)
- What Robots Can and Can’t Be (Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer).(1992)
- Soft Wars (New York, NY: Penguin USA). A novel.(1991)
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.cogsci.rpi.edu/ Department of Cognitive Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]
- [http://rair.cogsci.rpi.edu/ Rensselaer AI & Reasoning Lab]
- [http://homepages.rpi.edu/~brings/ Selmer Bringsjord] Personal web site at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Category:American computer scientists
Category:American artificial intelligence researchers
Category:Human–computer interaction researchers
Category:American technology writers
Category:Machine learning researchers
Category:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute faculty