from the here-a-MAC-there-a-MAC-everywhere-a-MAC-MAC dept.
In the beginning there was Project MAC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIT_Computer_Science_and_Artificial_Intelligence_Laboratory#Project_MAC
On July 1, 1963, Project MAC (the Project on Mathematics and Computation, later backronymed to Multiple Access Computer, Machine Aided Cognitions, or Man and Computer) was launched with a $2 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Project MAC's original director was Robert Fano of MIT's Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE). ... The program manager responsible for the DARPA grant was J. C. R. Licklider, who had previously been at MIT conducting research in RLE, and would later succeed Fano as director of Project MAC.
Project MAC would become famous for groundbreaking research in operating systems, artificial intelligence, and the theory of computation.
There have been quite a few MACs since then (esp. from Apple) and now Toyota is starting up a new one, https://www.autonomousvehicleinternational.com/news/computing/toyota-researches-human-decision-making.html
The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has launched Machine Assisted Cognition (MAC) to predict human decision making.
MAC aims to be scalable, using available data to develop and demonstrate artificial intelligence tools that can understand and predict human behavior. TRI has hired Franziska Bell to manage the program, who is hiring a new team of researchers including behavioral scientists. They will have oversight of the Accelerated Materials Design and Discovery program led by Brian Storey.
Eric Krotkov, TRI's chief science officer, said, "Our vision is to create a human amplification system for Toyota where people and machines work together synergistically to make better predictions, forecasts and business decisions, and do so more quickly."
The MAC will pursue use-cases that could have applicable solutions for different business functions. Once a proof of concept has been developed, the group will explore specific capabilities that can support the needs of Toyota users in different parts of the organization.
Personally, I'm quite happy to work synergistically with my older Toyota--using the standard controls--steering wheel, pedals, shifter, etc.--on a nice twisty road. I'd rather that my Toyota not get any ideas about working synergistically with me!
https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/MAC lists 271 MAC acronyms.
(Score: 4, Funny) by DannyB on Wednesday April 01 2020, @04:06PM (2 children)
Human decision: hey machine, do my thinking for me! Tell me what to do next.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2020, @05:17PM (1 child)
Share and enjoy!
(Score: 3, Funny) by Osamabobama on Wednesday April 01 2020, @08:38PM
Go stick your head in a pig!
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(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday April 01 2020, @04:08PM (5 children)
What, no self driving?
Self driving vehicles have been the dream of mankind for ages and aeons dating back to at least america online.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2020, @05:16PM (4 children)
Are you sure you didn't mean "womankind"? Just based on the people I see looking in the sunvisor mirror and not at the road...
Anyway, nope, no self driving for me. Sure, I'll use a JohnnyCab if it's the only option--perhaps in a specific geo-fenced downtown area, but not on a regular basis.
The Cobbler's children have no shoes? I've had an interesting technical consulting career in the auto industry, worked happily with different car companies on three continents and also seen some ugly sides. My prediction--I won't see general purpose self-driving in my lifetime (currently 66, with parents that made it past 90). By general purpose, I include taking me to my wilderness campsite, off a dirt road--that car will always need a steering wheel and I'll have no one but myself to blame when I get stuck in the mud!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2020, @06:37PM
i won't even tolerate On Star, much less self driving.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 01 2020, @06:45PM
Not really, It would be wonderful to be able to drive from coast to coast and only need to handle the wheel when the road was interesting or fun to drive, rather than most of it that is just nothing.
Not to mention that nobody really likes driving in traffic. Having to wait is bad enough, but the cognitive load is quite a bit.
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Thursday April 02 2020, @03:12PM (1 child)
Surely looking in the sunvisor mirror is much more dangerous than e.g. looking on your smartphone, right? Because otherwise, why single that one specific distraction out?
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 02 2020, @07:28PM
Reverse confirmation bias(?)--I don't have a smart phone. Must have flashed back to a time when no one had a smart phone when I typed that.
(Score: 2) by dwilson on Thursday April 02 2020, @03:56PM (2 children)
So it appears to me that, other than sharing an acronym (MAC) and underlying theme (AI / machine-cognition), Toyota's new project has precisely fuck-all to do with 1963's Project MAC.
Did I miss something? Did Toyota entice a few old fellows who worked on it in 1963 out of retirement to join in their latest project? Stumble over some of the old documentation and use it as a jump-off point for their further research?
I'm just trying to find the news-worthy connection, here. The headline strikes me as mildly misleading, as it stands.
- D
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 02 2020, @07:30PM (1 child)
Submitter (me) was amused that Toyota would reuse such a tired old acronym. I though tfa made that pretty clear.
(Score: 2) by dwilson on Thursday April 02 2020, @11:15PM
Context is everything. I see exactly where you were coming from now, thanks.
- D
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Friday April 03 2020, @02:36PM
Back in the 60's it was a common joke that MAC stood for "MIT Acquires Computers".