How to build an artificially intelligent plant

The amazing wondering animal Ani Liu just asked me how I would start to build an artificially intelligent plant. That is a beautiful question! Here is what came up.

1. To begin, identify an area where a plant would meaningfully benefit from additional cognition. 

Here is an example: Plants probably cannot form maps of the environment, but only know gradients. That makes sense, because plants can only move along a gradient: I need more light, in this direction, it gets lighter —> grow in this direction. What about mapping the room with a camera and sensors, and measure where it would be good for the plant to be (light, temperature, commotion, air currents)? And then move there? What about finding out how the room changes during the day and identify an ideal trajectory in that room that you follow as a nomadic plant? What about measuring the need for water and nutrients, and actively seeking out a fountain and a shower with plant food when it gets hungry or thirsty?

Don't Care about Meaning

Here's a short email exchange with Caryn, on the common mix-up of meaning and relevance, kept for myself and posteriority.

Why are meaning and caring synonymous in most peoples mind?

By 'meaning', do you refer to 'meaningful life' (pervasive feeling of satisfaction), or semiotic reference? And by 'caring', do you refer to 'compassion for others', 'involvement' or 'motivational relevance'?

Well, to be precise, they relate to negation of meaning with the negation of caring. I think caring for the purpose of this discussion any of the three will work for the moment at least. With respect to meaning, I'm definitely not referring to meaningful life, more the semiotic sense.