Mario Draghi’s AI plan is Hot Air – Economy and Surroundings

These days, the first inconsistencies in the plan for artificial intelligence considered by the Draghi government are that we read literally that Italy “has what it takes to become a leader in the European Union.” [Sorvolo sull’inquietante locuzione “testa di punta”] Whereas, it is also emphasized that Italy has an “active AI research community”, which excels in areas such as Machine / Deep Learning, The data mining e analysis big data.

Reading these developments in the document, it appears that Italy will play a leading role in this new sector of research and practical applications. [Nuovo si fa per dire, in USA si studia l’Intelligenza Artificiale dagli anni 50 del secolo scorso].

But then, purely by chance, the writer came across a case on Facebook written by one of the smartest Italian mathematicians complaining about “spargna” for government funding of basic research in mathematics. It will only be four (say 4) million euros, which will be awarded to those who can demonstrate that their research will have “applied effects”.

For those who know what IT is, reading this case immediately after reading an article on the government’s strategy in the field of artificial intelligence has an alienating effect at first but gradually turns into irrepressible fun.

Computer science, as well as its branch known as artificial intelligence, finds its theoretical foundations specifically in mathematics. In fact, the cornerstone of computer science is precisely what may be the most abstract branch of mathematics and with (apparently) fewer practical implications: logic.

Not for nothing is the most important prize in computer science together Turing Prize and the Goodell Prize for theoretical computer science. Specifically dedicated to the Austrian philosopher mathematician Kurt Goodl The author of two incompleteness theorems that are probably the most abstract and without practical ramifications that mathematics has ever produced, but which once turned to computer science to become an unprecedented and insurmountable practical obstacle. So much so that (much simpler) the division between them artificial general intelligence NS Constrained Artificial Intelligence was necessary specifically “because of” Goodl and their theory.

Not understanding that there is no search on the computer without mathematical research leads to these fatal errors. Therefore, the lack of mathematics funding means that in computer science and artificial intelligence, the simply Italian strategy (beyond the extravagant and cool expressions) is to go to Germany, France and worse than the American and Chinese BigTechs.

But there is something worse than that: not knowing that the main theme of AI are two incompleteness theories Goodl This means that there is no idea of ​​the risks and dangers that the application of these tools will bring to people’s lives. And that’s really scary.