How AI could become an extension of your mind | Arnav Kapur

翻译人员: Jingdan Niu 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

Ever since computers were invented,

自从电脑被发明出来，

we've been trying to make them smarter and more powerful.

我们一直致力于使它们更加聪明和强大。

From the abacus, to room-sized machines,

从算盘，到房间大小的机器，

to desktops, to computers in our pockets.

到台式机，再到可以 放进我们口袋里的电脑。

现在我们开始设计人工智能， 来完成要求人类智能

And are now designing artificial intelligence to automate tasks

that would require human intelligence.

来完成的自动化工作。

If you look at the history of computing,

如果你看一下计算机的历史，

we've always treated computers as external devices

我们总是将电脑看成一个外部的装置，

that compute and act on our behalf.

代表我们来进行计算和行动。

What I want to do is I want to weave computing, AI and internet as part of us.

我想做的，则是把计算、人工智能 和网络整合在一起成为我们的一部分。

As part of human cognition,

作为人类认知的一部分，

freeing us to interact with the world around us.

它们使我们可以自由地与 周围的世界互动。

Integrate human and machine intelligence

人类能力强化，可以通过 使人类和机械智能

right inside our own bodies to augment us, instead of diminishing us or replacing us.

在我们的身体里成为一个整体来实现， 而不是让它弱化我们，或者替代我们。

Could we combine what people do best, such as creative and intuitive thinking,

我们可不可以把人类最擅长的， 比如创造力和直觉思维

with what computers do best,

和电脑最擅长的，

such as processing information and perfectly memorizing stuff?

比如信息处理和 完美的记忆力结合起来呢？

这会不会产生1加1大于2的效果呢？

Could this whole be better than the sum of its parts?

We have a device that could make that possible.

我们有一个装置 可以使这个设想成为可能。

它叫做AlterEgo， 是一个可穿戴的装置，

It's called AlterEgo, and it's a wearable device

that gives you the experience of a conversational AI

你会感觉到它是一个 生活在你大脑里的，

that lives inside your head,

可以进行对话的人工智能，

that you could talk to in likeness to talking to yourself internally.

这种感觉就像是你在和 你心里的自己对话。

We have a new prototype that we're showing here,

我们这里展示的是我们的一个新的样本，

for the first time at TED, and here's how it works.

这是我们第一次在TED进行展示， 它是这么工作的。

Normally, when we speak,

通常来说，当我们说话的时候，

the brain sends neurosignals through the nerves

大脑会通过神经

to your internal speech systems,

向你的内部语言系统传递神经信号

to activate them and your vocal cords to produce speech.

来激活它们，让你的声带可以开始讲话。

One of the most complex cognitive and motor tasks

这是我们作为人类，进行的 最复杂的与认知和肌肉运动

that we do as human beings.

有关的工作之一。

Now, imagine talking to yourself

现在，想象一下和你自己说话，

without vocalizing, without moving your mouth,

不要发出声音， 不要动嘴，

without moving your jaw,

不要动下巴，

but by simply articulating those words internally.

只需要在心里清晰的将这些单词说出来，

Thereby very subtly engaging your internal speech systems,

也就是非常巧妙地运用 你的内部语言系统，

比如你的舌头和上颚的后半部分。

such as your tongue and back of your palate.

When that happens,

在这个时候，

the brain sends extremely weak signals to these internal speech systems.

大脑会发送非常微弱的信号 给这些内部语言系统，

AlterEgo has sensors,

AlterEgo有传感器，

embedded in a thin plastic, flexible and transparent device

嵌入在一个薄薄的、 柔韧且透明的塑料装置里，

that sits on your neck just like a sticker.

可以像贴纸一样贴在你的脖子上。

These sensors pick up on these internal signals

这些传感器会透过表面的皮肤，

sourced deep within the mouth cavity,

在口腔的深处获得

right from the surface of the skin.

并感应到这些内部信号。

An AI program running in the background

一个人工智能程序在后台运行，

then tries to figure out what the user's trying to say.

试图分辨出用户想说的话。

It then feeds back an answer to the user

之后它会通过骨骼传导

by means of bone conduction,

将答案反馈给用户，

audio conducted through the skull into the user's inner ear,

声音通过颅骨传到用户的内耳，

用户所听到的声音

that the user hears,

overlaid on top of the user's natural hearing of the environment,

覆盖在自然听觉环境上面，

without blocking it.

并不会屏蔽它。

The combination of all these parts, the input, the output and the AI,

这些部分的结合： 输入，输出和人工智能，

gives a net subjective experience of an interface inside your head

使你脑中的界面有了 一个非常主观的经验，

that you could talk to in likeness to talking to yourself.

就是你可以像跟自己说话一样说话。

Just to be very clear, the device does not record or read your thoughts.

需要阐明的一点是，这个装备 不会记录或者读取你的想法。

It records deliberate information that you want to communicate

它只会记录你想交流的

through deliberate engagement of your internal speech systems.

并通过你内部语言系统的有意参与 而透露出来的信息。

People don't want to be read, they want to write.

人们不想被读取想法， 他们更愿意写出来。

Which is why we designed the system

这就是为什么我们设计这个系统来

to deliberately record from the peripheral nervous system.

特意的从外周神经系统来记录信息。

Which is why the control in all situations resides with the user.

这就是为什么所有情况下的 控制权都属于用户。

I want to stop here for a second and show you a live demo.

这里我想暂停一下， 给你们一个现场的演示。

What I'm going to do is, I'm going to ask Eric a question.

我将向Eric问一个问题。

And he's going to search for that information

他将搜索这个问题的信息，

without vocalizing, without typing, without moving his fingers,

不是通过语言，也不是通过打字， 也不会移动他的手指，

without moving his mouth.

或者是动一下嘴。

Simply by internally asking that question.

只是在心里问这个问题。

The AI will then figure out the answer and feed it back to Eric,

人工智能将会找出这个答案 并过声音，通过这个装置

through audio, through the device.

发送给Eric。

While you see a laptop in front of him, he's not using it.

你看到他面前有一个笔记本电脑， 他不会用这个电脑。

Everything lives on the device.

所有的东西都在装置上面。

All he needs is that sticker device to interface with the AI and the internet.

他需要的只是那个像贴纸一样的装置， 去连接人工智能和互联网。

So, Eric, what's the weather in Vancouver like, right now?

那么Eric，现在温哥华的天气怎么样？

What you see on the screen

现在你在屏幕上面看到的

are the words that Eric is speaking to himself right now.

就是Eric现在在心里对他自己说的话。

This is happening in real time.

这是实时发生的。

Eric: It's 50 degrees and rainy here in Vancouver.

Eric：现在温哥华的气温为 10摄氏度，有雨。

Arnav Kapur: What happened is that the AI sent the answer

所以，人工智能将答案

通过语音和装置发回给Eric。

through audio, through the device, back to Eric.

What could the implications of something like this be?

这会给我们什么样的启示呢？

Imagine perfectly memorizing things,

想象一下完美的记忆，

where you perfectly record information that you silently speak,

在你无声表达的时候 可以完美的记录信息，

and then hear them later when you want to,

然后等到你需要的时候可以去听，

internally searching for information,

还可以在内部搜寻信息，

crunching numbers at speeds computers do,

处理数字的速度就像电脑那样，

静静的向其他人发送信息。

silently texting other people.

Suddenly becoming multilingual,

突然变得多语言化，

so that you internally speak in one language,

那么当你在心里说一种语言，

and hear the translation in your head in another.

你会听到另外一种语言的翻译。

The potential could be far-reaching.

这个装置的潜力影响深远。

There are millions of people around the world

现在世界上有数以百万计的人

who struggle with using natural speech.

挣扎于无法使用自然语言。

People with conditions such as ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease,

比如身患肌萎缩侧索硬化症， 或者葛雷克氏症的人们，

stroke and oral cancer,

中风，以及口腔癌，

amongst many other conditions.

还有除此以外的其它情况。

For them, communicating is a painstakingly slow and tiring process.

对于他们来说，交流是一个 艰苦漫长和疲惫的过程。

This is Doug.

这是道格。

Doug was diagnosed with ALS about 12 years ago

道格在12年前被诊断出患了 肌萎缩侧索硬化症，

and has since lost the ability to speak.

并且从那时候开始就丧失了说话的能力。

Today, he uses an on-screen keyboard

今天，他使用一个屏幕键盘，

where he types in individual letters using his head movements.

通过他脑部的活动 来打出一个个单独的字母。

And it takes several minutes to communicate a single sentence.

通常这需要好几分钟 才能交流一个简单的句子。

So we went to Doug and asked him

所以我们找到道格并问他，

what were the first words he'd like to use or say, using our system.

通过我们的系统，你想使用 或者说出的第一个词是什么。

Perhaps a greeting, like, "Hello, how are you?"

可能是一个招呼，比如， “嗨，你好吗？”

Or indicate that he needed help with something.

或者表示他需要某些帮助。

What Doug said that he wanted to use our system for

道格说他希望用我们的系统

is to reboot the old system he had, because that old system kept on crashing.

去重新启动他的旧系统， 因为旧的系统一直在崩溃。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

We never could have predicted that.

这是我们完全没有预料到的。

I'm going to show you a short clip of Doug using our system for the first time.

我将向大家展示一个道格 第一次使用我们系统的短片。

(Voice) Reboot computer.

（声音）重启电脑。

AK: What you just saw there

你们在这里看到的，

was Doug communicating or speaking in real time for the first time

是道格自从失去说话的能力以来，

since he lost the ability to speak.

第一次实时的进行交流或者说话。

There are millions of people

有无数的人，

who might be able to communicate in real time like Doug,

他们可能可以像道格一样 和其他人，他们的朋友，

with other people, with their friends and with their families.

他们的家人进行实时的交流。

My hope is to be able to help them express their thoughts and ideas.

我的希望是可以帮助他们 表达他们的想法和观点。

I believe computing, AI and the internet

我相信计算、人工智能和互联网

would disappear into us as extensions of our cognition,

可以作为思维的延伸消失并融入我们，

instead of being external entities or adversaries,

而不是成为外部的存在或者对手，

amplifying human ingenuity,

（它们可以）增强人类的创造力，

giving us unimaginable abilities and unlocking our true potential.

赋予我们无法想象的能力， 解锁我们真正的潜力。

And perhaps even freeing us to becoming better at being human.

也许甚至可以让我们成为更好的人类。

Thank you so much.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Shoham Arad: Come over here.

Shoham Arad：请站到这边。

OK.

好的。

I want to ask you a couple of questions, they're going to clear the stage.

我想问你一些问题， 他们需要时间来清理一下演讲台。

I feel like this is amazing, it's innovative,

我觉得这太令人惊叹了， 很新颖的点子，

不过听起来很诡异，有点吓人。

it's creepy, it's terrifying.

Can you tell us what I think ...

你可不可以告诉我们，

I think there are some uncomfortable feelings around this.

我想现在房间里 充斥着一些不安的气氛，

Tell us, is this reading your thoughts,

告诉我们，这个装置 会读取你的想法吗？

will it in five years,

它在五年的发展后， 会读取你的想法吗？

is there a weaponized version of this, what does it look like?

会有一个武器化版本吗， 如果有会是什么样的？

AK: So our first design principle, before we started working on this,

AK：在我们开始动手之前， 第一个设计原则

was to not render ethics as an afterthought.

就是把伦理放在第一位。

So we wanted to bake ethics right into the design.

所以我们把伦理融入了设计里。

We flipped the design.

我们进行了逆向设计，

Instead of reading from the brain directly,

我们的设计是从语言神经系统读取，

而不是直接从大脑读取，

we're reading from the voluntary nervous system

that you deliberately have to engage to communicate with the device,

这样一来你就必须有意的 与装置进行交流，

同时仍然可以保留一个思维装置的优点。

while still bringing the benefits of a thinking or a thought device.

这是一个对两个世界都好的方法。

The best of both worlds in a way.

SA: OK, I think people are going to have a lot more questions for you.

SA：好的，我想大家都会 有很多问题想问你。

Also, you said that it's a sticker.

你说它像个贴纸。

So right now it sits just right here?

所以就贴在这儿是吗？

Is that the final iteration,

这是最终的版本吗，

what the final design you hope looks like?

你希望最终版是什么样的？

AK: Our goal is for the technology to disappear completely.

AK：我们的目标是 让这个技术可以隐形。

SA: What does that mean?

SA：这是什么意思？

AK：当你把它戴上的时候， 我不应该看到它。

AK: If you're wearing it, I shouldn't be able to see it.

You don't want technology on your face, you want it in the background,

你并不想让这个技术在你脸上， 你是想让它在后台，

在看不见的地方强化你的能力。

to augment you in the background.

So we have a sticker version that conforms to the skin,

我们有一个贴纸的版本， 与皮肤颜色相似，

that looks like the skin,

看起来就像是皮肤，

but we're trying to make an even smaller version

但是我们正在尝试做一个更小的版本，

that would sit right here.

贴在这个地方。

SA: OK.

SA：好的。

如果任何人有任何问题想问阿纳，

I feel like if anyone has any questions they want to ask Arnav,

he'll be here all week.

他一整周都会在这里。

OK, thank you so much, Arnav.

好的，谢谢你，阿纳。

AK: Thanks, Shoham.

谢谢。