Can a man-made computer become conscious?

[SteveKlinko]

Original thread in Epsitemology and Metaphysics here: http://onlinephilosophyclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19

philoreaderguy -

Do you think a man-made computer could ever become conscious? Can it have a soul? Why or why not?

In addition to this question I thought it might be a good idea to throw in some other thoughts that sprout from it:

- Animal rights and the rights of AI beings.
- The problem of recognizing consciousness (Searle’s Chinese room experiment.)
- Comparisons between computer and neuro “circuitry.”
- The use of cybernetic theories in understanding/defining consciousness.
- Theological questions about the valuation of “man-made” consciousness alongside human “divinity” (Or more simply put the ethical issues and responsibilities that come with creating conscious life.)

Artificial Intelligence is primarily implemented by a class of computer programs that can accomplish tasks that mimic Human Intelligence. Examples are things like Speech Recognition, Facial Recognition, and Self Driving Cars. With the improved computers and algorithms that we have today these kinds of computer capabilities have become increasingly more useful. But the Hype over all this is astounding. Marketing departments are trying to imply that these kinds of capabilities mean that there is an actual Conscious entity involved in the Speech Recognition, Facial Recognition, and Self Driving Car. But these are all just computer programs performing a specific task. These would have to be classified as Non-Conscious Artificial Intelligence. If Consciousness can be added to Machines then full Conscious Artificial Intelligence will be achieved.

According to the Inter Mind Model (IMM) the Speech Recognition, Facial Recognition, and Self Driving Car capabilities would reside in the Machine Physical Mind (PM) which is the computer Hardware and Software. The Machine PM serves the same purpose as our Human PM. But it seems that there is no capability for a Conscious Mind (CM) to have any Volitional effect on the Machine PM like occurs with a Human PM. The Machine PM is just mindlessly executing computer programs.

There is speculation that the Human CM might interact Volitionally with the Human PM using Quantum Mechanical effects. The Wikipedia page for Quantum Consciousness says: The Quantum Mind or Quantum Consciousness group of hypotheses propose that Classical Mechanics cannot explain Consciousness. It posits that Quantum Mechanical phenomena, such as Quantum Entanglement and Superposition, may play an important part in the Brain's function and could form the basis of an explanation of consciousness.

So we might speculate that a CM could also interact Volitionally with a Machine PM using Quantum Mechanical effects. But current technology does not allow for this in computer designs. The special connections are just not designed into the hardware at this time. We basically are not sure how to do this yet. But we have to start somewhere and the Machine Consciousness Experiment is an attempt to make such a Quantum Mechanical connection from a CM to a Machine PM.

The Quantum Mechanical connection between the CM and the PM must be a two way street. Volition allows a CM to affect a PM in order to do things in Physical Space (PSp). So in this case the connection is from the CM to the PM. A CM also needs to perceive what's going on in a PM, and therefore in PSp, so this connection must be from the PM to the CM.

For Humans, Neurons contain structures called Microtubules that operate based on Quantum Mechanical principles. If a CM (through an IM) is able to sense the state of a Human PM by sensing the state of the Microtubules then the CM might have the ability to sense all Neurons in the Human PM at the same time. For Vision the CM might be able to sense the state of the Visual Cortex areas in order to Experience what the Visual areas are currently Seeing. The CM would Experience it's own Personal Conscious Light (CL).

Maybe these Microtubules could be influenced by Quantum Fluctuations in Space-Time. So if a CM could cause a Quantum Fluctuation near a Microtubule then the CM might be able to influence the Brain in a large way if enough Microtubules are affected. This is very hypothetical but it is a logical avenue to explore.

For Machines, there are no Neurons but there are Transistors which operate on Quantum Mechanical principles. What if a CM (through an IM) could sense the state of the Transistors in an electronic circuit? A TFT Display Monitor has a Transistor at each pixel location. Maybe a CM can sense the state of all these Transistors in order to See what is currently displayed on the monitor. This is similar to how the CM senses the Visual Cortex in Humans. The Machine might then Experience it's own Personal CL similar to the Human Experience.

This situation could also work for camera chips and CMs. It may be the case that millions or billions of CMs have been experiencing what's going on in the world through Transistors for many years already. But these CMs have not had any way to affect anything in PSp because we have not designed the Volitional interfaces yet. Manufacturers are not making Androids (Robots with Consciousness) yet, just mindless Robots. But fully Conscious Androids are conceptually possible and could be a reality some day.

Since a transistor operates at the Quantum level of Physics to some extent, then maybe it could be influenced by Quantum Fluctuations in Space-Time. So if a CM can cause a Quantum Fluctuation near the device then the CM might be able to influence a circuit that is connected to the device and this circuit through amplification might be able to affect the behavior of a Machine. This would be a Volitional Interface.

The problem with Artificial Intelligence today is that Scientists are working on the Computer Processing side of things while denying that a Conscious Visual Experience, for example, would greatly improve the operation of their Machines with respect to Visual Processing. Consider that billions of years of evolutionary development produced the Conscious Visual Experience in the life forms on this planet so why do we want to deprive our Machines from using this kind of Data?

[Terrapin Station]

The problem is more how we'd ever know that other materials and/or structures have conscious phenomena or not. Substratum independence could be true. But I just don't see how we'd ever know if it is.

But does it really matter if we know? We're going to have to just use behavioral criteria, and if something sufficiently behaves as if its conscious, we might as well assume that it is.

[Belindi]

In order to be conscious the AI machine would have to know its experiences were unique and unrepeatable. It would also have no choice but to make guesses about future unique and unrepeatable experiences that would continue until it 'died'.