Quantum Pancomputationalism and Statistical Data Science: From Symbolic to Statistical AI, and to Quantum AI

Abstract

The rise of probability and statistics is striking in contemporary science, ranging from quantum physics to artificial intelligence. Here we discuss two issues: one is the computational theory of mind as the fundamental underpinning of AI, and the quantum nature of computation therein; the other is the shift from symbolic to statistical AI, and the nature of truth in data science as a new kind of science. In particular we argue as follows: if the singularity thesis is true the computational theory of mind must ultimately be quantum in light of recent findings in quantum biology and cognition; data science is concerned with a new form of scientific truth, which may be called “post-truth”; whereas conventional science is about establishing idealised, universal truths on the basis of pure data carefully collected in a controlled situation, data science is about indicating useful, existential truths on the basis of real-world data gathered in contingent real-life and contaminated in different ways.