# What does this artificial intelligence picture mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2019, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991 "2019-05-15T09:15:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![silent\_wonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@silent\_wonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_wonder)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/1 "2019-05-15T09:15:51Z")
I have come across this picture that seems to be related to artificial intelligence: [![](https://engineering.uottawa.ca/sites/default/files/abstract-ai-newscover.jpg) ](https://engineering.uottawa.ca/sites/default/files/abstract-ai-newscover.jpg) Anyone has an idea what the layered circle in the middle means? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/2 "2019-05-15T09:50:27Z")
I’m an AI researcher and that graphic doesn’t mean anything to me. It looks like some graphic designer’s attempt at creating something abstract but “techy”-looking. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/3 "2019-05-15T14:28:07Z")
Looks like the typical imperial data port that R2 would use to hack into. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/4 "2019-05-15T14:37:37Z")
It’s an early schematic for a duotronic circuit. Instead of binary logic, duotronics work on base 10 logic, that’s why there’s a circle with ten choices and a common, or base, connection. Or it’s the circuit for a HAL 9000 eye. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/5 "2019-05-15T14:47:43Z")
An eye is the first thing that comes to mind. Like Arnold’s in The Terminator. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![xnylder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbce88/32.png) [@xnylder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xnylder)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/6 "2019-05-15T14:50:52Z")
It could also resemble the sectors of a hard drive: [https://harddriverecoverylondon.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/SAS-Hard-Drive-Tracks-filled-with-data.jpg](https://harddriverecoverylondon.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/SAS-Hard-Drive-Tracks-filled-with-data.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/7 "2019-05-15T15:19:34Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It’s an early schematic for a duotronic circuit. Instead of binary logic, duotronics work on base 10 logic, that’s why there’s a circle with ten choices and a common, or base, connection. Richard Daystrom must be much older than he looked in the historical documents. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/8 "2019-05-15T17:03:50Z")
I don’t think it means anything in particular, and neither do the electronic circuit schematics on either side of it. I would interpret it as an abstract representation of something complex and enigmatic built up from electronic circuits, which isn’t a bad metaphor for AI. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/9 "2019-05-15T17:06:03Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It’s an early schematic for a duotronic circuit. Instead of binary logic, duotronics work on base 10 logic, that’s why there’s a circle with ten choices and a common, or base, connection. If someone’s confused enough to be asking the question, I think we can assume this kind of humor will go over their heads, so I’ll just say outright that this is a joke based on a reference to Star Trek. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/10 "2019-05-15T18:24:58Z")
The word “abstract” is right in the title of the image. If you look at [stock photos here](http://shutterstock.puzzlepix.hu/kereses?query=technology%20vector), you’ll see very similar ones that don’t have anything to do with AI. It’s just a techy-looking image. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/11 "2019-05-15T18:59:53Z")
It looks to me like a load board used for IC test - with a lot of junk added. [Here](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Ffics.institute.ufl.edu%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F08%2FIMG_3072.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Ffics.institute.ufl.edu%2Ffacilities%2Fic-testing-and-characterization%2F&docid=juvnpMlUSJDpiM&tbnid=A68Qbz-9wcfsuM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwiGl8_Nmp7iAhVNCKwKHfAnCjwQMwhDKAMwAw..i&w=5184&h=3456&client=firefox-b-1-d&bih=929&biw=1614&q=ATE%20IC%20load%20board&ved=0ahUKEwiGl8_Nmp7iAhVNCKwKHfAnCjwQMwhDKAMwAw&iact=mrc&uact=8) is a picture of one. The IC to be tested goes in the middle. The load board is circular so that all wires coming from the IC pins to the electronics are roughly the same length. It doesn’t like it has much to do with AI, and might be an artist’s imagining of a load board. I’ve given artists pictures of wafers when commissioning a logo for an electronics conference, and have gotten back similar re-imaginings. Nothing to do with AI as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991/12 "2019-05-15T22:26:42Z")
For the record, here are some actual AI-related images: > **[File:Perceptron.svg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Perceptron.svg)** > > Original file ‎(SVG file, nominally 1,052 × 744 pixels, file size: 30 KB) > Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by MARKELLOS using CommonsHelper. > Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. > You cannot overwrite this file. > **[File:Colored neural network.svg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Colored_neural_network.svg)** > > Original file ‎(SVG file, nominally 296 × 356 pixels, file size: 206 KB) > \[edit\] > German > English (original) [![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpropagation#/media/File:ArtificialNeuronModel_english.png) ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpropagation#/media/File:ArtificialNeuronModel_english.png) [![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Artificial_synapses_based_on_FTJs.png) ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Artificial_synapses_based_on_FTJs.png)