In the Beginning was Information

Figure 41: Speechless.(Sketched by Carsten Gitt)Image processing includes methods for the recognition, description andcomparison of sample objects.4. Speech processing: This includes:– the conversion of spoken words into symbols independent of the personwho speaks (the development of a “speech typewriter”).– translation from one language to another– the ability to converse in natural language.In this area the limitations of AI are particularly obvious, because it is inprinciple impossible to prepare software that can really understand andprocess meanings, as would be necessary for exercises requiring lingualdiscernment (e. g. translating, summarising texts, and answering questions).Speech recognition and comprehension as well as the creative useof language is one of the essential cognitive faculties of man, and is theprerogative of human intelligence.Since the 1950s the use of computers for natural language has been considereda challenge. The first efforts were directed to the automation oftranslation. For this purpose a complete dictionary was stored, as well asthe equivalents in the target language. Employing simple rules for wordpositioning and for the construction of sentences, the program then lookedfor associated concepts. However, all these efforts came to a dead end.The frequently quoted sentence “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is220