Child-like intelligence created in Second Life

From ITNews Australia, via classfellow J.R., an article which I judge be intriguing and valuable, albeit overwrought:

By Liz Tay 14 March 2008 03:55PM Four-year-old Eddie might behave like a typical young boy. Outside of the Second Life virtual world, however, he is anything but. The child is a product of logic-based artificial intelligence and complex modelling techniques, and operates on what has been said to be the most powerful university-based supercomputing system in the world.
A creation of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Eddie has his own set of beliefs, and the ability to reason about his beliefs to draw conclusions in a manner that matches human children his age.