FlashBrighton: Artificial Intelligence 101 June 22, 2010

There follows an extract from the diary of Ian Ozsvald-Pepys, dated June 15th 2010:

I have spoken this night with Sir Seb Lee-Delisle, the gentleman who runs the FlashBrighton club, an institution of long standing repute. He expressed great delight with my research into Artificial Intelligence, which he assuryes me he has been following with the greatest assiduity, and kindly invited me to present my findings at his club. I did of course accept, and have spent the remaynder of the day deliberating over how I might present these goode labours. I have settled on involving my £5 app collaborator Mr. John Montgomery, with whom I have been engaged on a number of projects for some little time now.

Firstly there is 'Skiff Identity Invasion', where we extract facial impressions from The Skiff's video feed, raising intriguing notions on surveillance. Then there is 'Headroid1', a face-tracking robot head which doth please me mightily. And finally our optical character recognition software 'Reading English Heritage Plaques'. I find that I am also given to the notion highlighting the work of other experts in the fielde, such as 'OpenAllure', a conversational voice/gesture interface. I am loathe to say which of these piques my interest the most, it is a source of the greatest vexation. I believe I will leave the decision to the last minute, my mind being so muddled in the matter.

My most fervent desire is to dispel the myth that AI is complex, for nothing could be further from the truth. Achtung, Edwardian lampoon! I do most earnestly believe that the application of a little AI can achieve miracles for even the humblest of applications.

I am to The Werks on Tuesday 22nd of June to discourse these affairs. Judging by the goode words of Sir Lee-Delisle, I trust my words shall be met with most warm appreciation by the assembled there, and look forward greatly to the occasion.

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