Best place to recruit volunteers for computer science project

sunama

sunama

sunama

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
15,861
Location
NW London
Hi,

I was just wondering what the best way would be to get some volunteers to work with, on a Computer Science/Programming project that I wish to start? Is there a website that I can place an advert on?

Ideally, I'm looking for students (under or post graduates) and people who can program in C++, who are willing to spend some time on a project, on a volutary basis.

Thanks
 
Here would probably be a good place to start, if you post up the full details I'm sure there'll be a few interested people
 
Is it not against some form a of rule to "recruit", on these boards, though?

Obviously, I know that there are a lot of computer science students out there, who are looking for work and while they wait on their applications, I thought it would be a good for them to get some voluntary work under their belts. Obviously, its great for me, as I get chunks of the project done for free and I also get to pick the minds of some intelligent people who might have some great ideas, superior to mine.

Be advised that this is not a commercial project (though some day, it might be) and I'm only starting it up now. I havent even drawn up initial diagrams of how the different CLASSES will interact with eachother, so its very much in its infancy.
 
sunama said:
Is it not against some form a of rule to "recruit", on these boards, though?
Click to expand...

It would be if it were for a commercial application as far as I'm aware, you aren't allowed to promote your business here however there have been plenty of people who've posted up questionnaires and the like for dissertations without issue. If you're in doubt fire an email to one of the moderators and see what they say.

I'd offer to help but my programming skills are pretty much non-existant at the moment. Good luck. :)
 
Well at this stage, its not commercial idea, so here goes.

I can't give out too much information on this forum, but its a project that involves producing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) engine that can be used in everyday life, by the mass market, by "ordinary" people and not just those who are mega rich or involved in the millitary or other organisations working on experimental/secret AI technologies.

Think about the AI engines used in K.I.T.T, in the Knight Rider TV serial (where the car can essentially make decisions and think for itself as well as take/execute orders from the driver).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KITT

Think of the AI engine used in the robots in the movie, I, Robot, (where Robots become servants to human beings and can perform everyday tasks that human beings can do - washing up, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343818/plotsummary

Think about the AI engines used in space ship computers such those aboard the USS Enterprise (where the space ship can take orders and execute commands as well as provide essential information to the pilots).
http://www.tvacres.com/computers_star_enterprise.htm

Think about the AI engines used in the robots, in the movie, AI (where the robots had reached a point where there was little to distinguish the artifical boy and a real boy. Here, the robots had become so complex that they were able to develop emotions).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212720/plotsummary

I'd certainly like to bounce my initial ideas with people who have thoughts on Artificial Intelligence.

Maybe mine is a poor idea. Maybe its a good one. But it needs to be discussed a little with both sceptics and those who are more creative and adventurous, before I can start laying down the design of the AI engine.#

PS. It wont just be C++ programmers that would be required, but will almost certainly involve other languages (yet to be discussed/finalised). For starters, I would need somebody to make a nice website. Obviously that person can put their name on it and use it to promote themselves to future employers.
 
Last edited:
You must know something about AI that the cutting edge experts don't to hope to produce something approaching "real" ambiguous context aware AI.
 
Approach the open source community on some mailing list / newsgroup.

..then pray that your project doesn't get forked to death. :D
 
Kreeeee said:
You must know something about AI that the cutting edge experts don't to hope to produce something approaching "real" ambiguous context aware AI.
Click to expand...

One thing I've noticed with developing technologies is that "experts", such as University professors and researchers dont tend to gear their research towards the mass (commercial) market. What they tend to do is do some research, publish a paper that asks even more questions than it answers, where a lot of their work tends to be based on theory. For my own dissertation, in my MSc project, I made a neat little file sharing program, however, my supervisor told me that what he is really looking for is the "report" that accompanies the working program. In other words, I could write 200 words on a subject, while producing a fantastic program which on the commercial market, would make heaps and this would earn me a very low grade. Conversely, I could produce a really bad program, while writing a great 2000 word report and this would get me a good grade.

I'm approaching this project with an open mind. At the moment, its just an idea that I hope to bring to the masses and not just large companies who spend millions and then keep the technology to themselves, for use in future applications.

I read recently that a French company has come up with an AI that can be installed in a car, which can drive itself. Great, you say, the problem is that the car is not being marketed to the masses, but is merely a concept or prototype that is unlikely to the see the light of day, for a few decades.

Another consideration is that all because one company/organisation is developing an AI, it doesnt mean that all other organisations must cease their AI research programs and ideas.

Eventually, only a few AI engines will survive and live to the see the light of day, available to the masses. I can only hope that the one I'm involved with is one of them.
 
Sparky__H said:
No Please Thank You

I'm nerd but not AI level nerd.
Click to expand...

Hey. AI could be really exciting.

Imagine being able to have a full blown conversation with a computer running an AI engine. Imagine, bouncing ideas off the AI, before going through with them?

Or, rather than hiring a tutor, get your AI system to tutor your children, if they having problems with their homework.

AI has so many uses.
 
With something as broad as "AI" I would suggest you start by perhaps considering getting yourself a subscription to a good scientific resource, ScienceDirect, something like that. If you are currently a student, then your institution may provide you with a free Athens login anyway.

AI is something that has captivated the CS community effectively since computing as we know it began. Indeed the Turing Test as describeed by Alan Turing some 50 years ago, still stands as a benchmark to aim for!

Many people have spent their entire careers devoted to this subject area and have produced some fantastic work, however it is looking like we need to really harness the single forward pass, pathway forming computation style as seen in our very own brains in order to make what we would call AI a reality.

There also exists a fuzzy barrier between what we would call true AI and what we used to call an "expert engine". The latter is a way to access vast amounts of knowledge in a useful manner, areas that surround this include ontological design and even areas as diverse as HCI. The former is (in my mind) designing a self maintaining system which uses very simple but numerous basic structures in order to automatically form larger more complex structures based on various forms of input.

AI is a vast subject area that it could be argued can never truly be "solved" in the mathematical sense as that would require an understanding of what makes up the essence of being human.
 
manic_man said:
AI is something that has captivated the CS community effectively since computing as we know it began. Indeed the Turing Test as describeed by Alan Turing some 50 years ago, still stands as a benchmark to aim for!
Click to expand...

Indeed, but there are arguments against the Turing test. I already have a good idea of how to answer the questions proposed in the Turning test. (Lots and lots and lots of routines involving vocabulary (ie. the style in which the English language is used) and a MASSIVE knowledge database, 99% of which will come from the internet). In other words, the AI must be capable of learning and extracting key pieces of information from the internet, without assistance. The learning element is very important to me.

What I dont want to get involved in theories of what constitutes true AI, although like you stated AI isnt about creating an AI engine and then declaring it as complete - its more of a continuously evolving process. What I want is to create a practical application available to the masses. This is very important.

manic_man said:
... however it is looking like we need to really harness the single forward pass, pathway forming computation style as seen in our very own brains in order to make what we would call AI a reality.
Click to expand...

The problem here is that the AI routines would need to be written in an incredibly clever manner...something which I'm not sure will ever happen. Understand that human thinking is extraordinarly complex and to attempt to simulate a human brain, in the same way a real human brain works would be difficult. The alternative way would be to use the power of modern CPUs and hard disks, to house vast amounts of information, that an AI can search through to respond to stimuli.

In the past, it would've been very difficult to rely on huge memory/storage requirements, however, in these times, I think we can use brute power to simulate intelligence.

manic_man said:
There also exists a fuzzy barrier between what we would call true AI and what we used to call an "expert engine".
Click to expand...

I think what I'm aiming for is the latter. I'm not sure if there will ever be a true AI, but what we can do is get as close as possible, where to a point, the AI in question will be indistiguishable from an actual human being (in blind tests).

My AI design would add "emotion" routines, later on down the line.

manic_man said:
AI is a vast subject area that it could be argued can never truly be "solved" in the mathematical sense as that would require an understanding of what makes up the essence of being human.
Click to expand...

Yep. I view this as a long term project that if successful will go on developing for many decades.

Thanks for your input.
 
Sparky__H said:
Just not my cup of tea. I'm a network nerd. Two or more computers shooting bits at each other and I'm a happy man.
Click to expand...

I shall keep that in mind.

Bear in mind that any AI will need to have the ability to communicate with other computers, by itself, without assistance.
 
Given your answers, I think what you are trying to achieve needs to be defined more succinctly. I also think four questions that can be posed should be enough to allow you to define what it is you wish to achieve.

1) You want a human computer interface giving people easy, natural access to vast amounts of data.

2) You want a human computer interface giving people easy, natural access to vast amounts of data and also catagorised knowledge.

3) As above but with the ability for the system to "intelligently" (i.e. using cleverly designed algorithms) form knowledge from the data as the user requires it

4) You want to design a system which will evolve as per a life form.

If the answer is 4, and I don't think it is, this is where things get very very complex and multiple disciplines and some of the worlds finest minds are all currently meeting to even make a dent into the issue. There are even some that argue they shouldn't be doing it, who are we to play God etc. (not my personal opinion). The final purpose of number 4 is also uknown, as per a child, we want the best for it before it is born, we want it to achieve something, but who can say it wont turn out to be a delinquent drug addicted fiend and get itself killed at a young age before it has even achieved anything new.

For me, option 4 is true AI research and it will almost certainly go on forever, however its results filter back into options 1, 2 and 3. Where practically useful stuff gets made.

Either way, certainly look into the state of the art of Ontologies etc.

There has been a nice attempt at option 3 quite recently in the form of Wolfram|Alpha (http://www.wolframalpha.com/) though it is far from perfect and provides a very niche subject area.

What you are proposing is very ambitious, good luck and keep us up to date :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom