A computer model of
the stream of thought
by Erik T. Mueller
ISBN 0-89391-562-9, cloth
400 pages
Ablex/Intellect
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publisher
This book presents a
model of human daydreaming:
spontaneously recalling or imagining
personal or vicarious experiences in the
past or future. It proposes daydreaming
as a useful capability for any computer
system and a necessary capability for a
truly intelligent one. It argues that
daydreaming (a) improves efficiency by
exploiting free processing time learning
from past experiences and preparing for
future tasks, (b) improves creativity by
generating fanciful scenarios and
facilitating discovery of analogies among
seemingly unrelated tasks, and (c)
prevents emotions from getting out of
hand. The book in turn argues that
emotions are useful in computer systems
for triggering and directing processing
of multiple concerns given limited
resources.
The book presents the
Daydreamer computer program which
implements these ideas. In response to
input, Daydreamer produces English
descriptions of its emotional states,
rationalizations, associations, recalled
past events, imagined variations of past
events, and imagined future events.
Daydreamer operates in the domain of
interpersonal relations and common
everyday occurrences such as jobs,
dating, and entertainment.
Applications of this work
include: control mechanisms for
autonomous robots, improvement of
efficiency of computer operating systems,
tools for idea generation, creative
conversational computer systems, and
testing of psychological and psychiatric
theories and treatments.