The Essence of Simulation and Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

In response to the controversy over whether machines can think and the queries on artificial intelligence (AI), this paper clarifies that the essence of simulation and AI (i.e. simulation intelligence) should be pursuing assimilation (similartaxis) as well as keeping dissimilation to a prototype (natural intelligence). Both commonness and obvious otherness (individuality) must exist between them. This is a 'Both/And' thinking mode and not a simplified exclusive 'Either/Or' thinking. Based on four definitions and five hypotheses, some corollaries are educed logically to clarify the relation between machine intelligence and human mind and to answer the queries on AI. This paper points out that the 'Either/Or' thinking, such as 'either true intelligence or false' or 'either whole mind or nothing', resulted in some cognitive mistakes on AI and the mysticism had most deleterious consequences among the research of AI and cognitive science.