“To sell suckers, one uses deceit and offers glamour,” wrote John Pierce of Bell Labs in 1969 as he discussed speech recognition. Seriously, that was his advice against “mad inventors or untrustworthy engineers” that weren't using a scientific approach.
Glamour led to funding, which led to failure, which led to “A.I. winters” in which funding disappeared. Is innovation still being stifled because of those previous failures, or is there a fear of new ideas?
A.I.’s glamour is exploited for marketing purposes today, but progress in A.I. is lacking because we aren't aiming at the right target. As Pierce said about the right approach based on the scientific method, the work should be an experiment, not just an experience.
