Types of Mimetics for the Design of Intelligent Technologies

Abstract

Mimetic design means using a source in the natural or artificial worlds as an inspiration for technological solutions. It is based around the abstraction of the relevant operating principles in a source domain. This means that one must be able to identify the correct level of analysis and extract the relevant patterns. How this should be done is based on the type of source. From a mimetic perspective, if the design goal is intelligent technology, an obvious source of inspiration is human information processing, which we have called cognitive mimetics. This article offers some conceptual clarification on the nature of cognitive mimetics by contrasting it with biomimetics in the context of intelligent technology. We offer a two-part ontology for cognitive mimetics, suggest an approach and discuss possible implications for AI in general.

Cognitive Mimetics for AI Ethics: Tacit Knowledge, Action Ontologies and Problem Restructuring

“…As the trolley problem and its variations show, actual human ethical judgement is a complex affair which integrates many kinds of information processes and contents together against open-ended problems with many possible solutions. An AI system built around a single variable as the target of an ethical evaluation function may work for many cases but fail (from an ethical standpoint) for others because it has not mimicked [2][3][4][5][6] the actual information process in humans. For example, human beings judge based on emotions, or concepts like allowing vs. doing harm [20].…”

“…Thus, accessing by empirical means (without artificial limitations) how humans restructure problems [21] can give crucial hints on how to build similar abilities into AI systems, and discover usable patterns for moral problem solving. The empirical route sketched in cognitive mimetics [2][3][4][5][6] provides implementation cues for both general abilities and specific contents and patterns [see 6]. The whole point of the trolley problem is that within its limitations there is no right answer, and in such unfortunate circumstances it is difficult to see how either humans or machines should be forced to consider ethical questions, as both making the choice and not-making it result in an unethical action in one sense or another.…”

“…Cognitive Mimetics is an idea for a design method for intelligent systems introduced by Kujala and Saariluoma and elaborated over a series of papers [2][3][4][5][6]. Mimetic design means using a source in the natural or artificial worlds as an inspiration for technological solutions.…”

“…However, in creating intelligent technologies designers can use existing organizational and individual information processes as the source of ideas. Designing intelligent systems by utilizing existing human information processes as the source of solutions we have termed 'cognitive mimetics' [2][3][4][5][6]. Cognitive mimetics differs from typical and established biomimetics as it has different source of mimicking: human shared and individual cognitive processes, as well as the mental contents, representations, and constraints that establish the boundaries and forms it takes.…”

“…The second is where to look for the basis for ethical reasoning -where should "ethics modules" derive their contents and their basis for reasoning? This article offers a conceptual discussion on these issues and then lays out how cognitive mimetics [2][3][4][5][6] can be used in the context of AI ethics.…”