At their press conference at ETH Zurich, one of the globally leading research institutions and Switzerland’s center for innovation and knowledge, the Mindfire Foundation presented its unconventional and ambitious idea: unite some of the top 100 minds, bring them together in the Swiss mountains for two weeks and let them work on some of the toughest Artificial Intelligence (AI) challenges. Repeat as often as necessary and bring in new and diverse talents form all fields of science for every mission and systematically increase the competence of the networked intelligence. Ultimately, the objective is to decode how the mind works and to build human level artificial intelligence for the benefit of all.
Moving away from the one-sided focus on algorithms
When developing AI, the common approach is to focus on algorithms. «Today’s systems are not able to understand what a cat really is or what it means to play chess or wear a pair of shoes» , says Pascal Kaufmann, president of the Mindfire foundation. «What can you do with a pair of shoes? – most machines would come up with standard answers, while humans can transfer know-how and come up with novel solutions such as planting nails, building little boats, using them as a pot, and many ideas more.»
For a true breakthrough in AI, an interesting intelligence system needs to simultaneously have performance and competence. The idea is hence as simple as ambitious: The Mindfire program does not focus on replicating brains, instead, talents are united to explore the underlying principles of intelligence and to ask the right questions. «By systematically uniting some of the smartest talents in the world from universities, companies or students directly from high-schools, we are creating an inspiring atmosphere by giving rise to a super-organism constituted by talents around the globe, tailored to advance our understanding of natural and artificial intelligence.» A recently filed blockchain patent enables the seamless transfer, accumulation and identification of IP in the field of AI.
Venue of the first mission is Davos
The science community as well as most technology companies tend to operate in isolation. One of the key reasons: how else do you ensure a fair recognition and rewarding of each one’s contribution? The challenge of decoding the mind is of such magnitude, that a few brains in isolation might not manage it. The Mindfire program solves this dileamma by introducing a blockchain based format to systematically harvest and credit intellectual property (IP) at source. Additionally, there will be a blockchain based tokenization process in place to award each participant for tackling the mind code and sharing their IP.
Mindfire launches its first Mission in the Swiss Alps in Davos, Switzerland. An inspiring and over the top location shall be the new home of a global and ambitious endeavor to decode the mind. Collaborators and supporters automatically become co-owners of the IP collected by the Mindfire Foundation. Mindfire has already received substantial financial support by private donators, academia, corporations and government entities.
Talent search is running
Mindfire is currently selecting talents for its missions. Anyone joining the movement can register via: www.mindfire.global.
