Can Artificial Intelligence have self-awareness?

[Hee_Zen]

What is the principle of activity(the source) of a physical computer designed by man?
Is the info processing the same in the designed computer as it is in humans
Is the information the same for both, the human,(you call "info processing units (machines) as it is for the designed computer made by man?

Could be but not necessarily so.

 

[mkoopman]

Consider a system being is state of S. This state can cause another state S’. Two state cannot coexist hence S must disappear before S’ which is problematic since this requires that S to exist and exist not. This paradox can only be resolve if the awareness of state S exist in consciousness. Hence no change is possible without consciousness.

Come on now, that’s too easy to refute. I have often been in an unconscious state.

 

[mkoopman]

Hee, don’t you realize that its meaningless to say that we can “create” AI. In fact Artificial intelligence seems to be meaningless as well. Sentience is either natural to a particular physical construct or it is not. We do not create sentience. Sentience is something that emerges in relation to particular physical constructs. We can artificially create that construct, but that is not the same thing as creating intelligence.

There is meaning in relation to matters of intellectual property. Many of these are more problematic than the French requiring a “date stamp” on consecrated hosts. There is no doubt that Jesus is greater than any political state. What happens when gene replication and cyborg designs become patented holdings?

There are any number of "evil scientists,’ no disassociation intended, who want to promote the introduction of frozen embryonic materials into a real “Frankenstein complex.” When I call these persons, evil scientists, I do not allude to a sci-fi or horror movie genre. Such persons are committed to intrinsically evil acts.

 

[ynotzap]

Could be but not necessarily so.

To which question was this answer directed? It is my conviction that the answers to all three questions will lead in the right direction to the answer to the original post.

 

[ynotzap]

I am aware of the existence of the fictional idea that something that contains a great quantity of information somehow spontaneously evolves into “a rational, decision making,personality bearing entity” such as suggested in a computer having self-awareness. Information does not equate to the creation of a rational creature,who can think on it’s own, or be aware of itself. This idea has been used in science fiction movies such as “Space Oddesy” and others. It makes interesting science fiction, but devoid of reality.

 

[Kount_C]

A friend of one of my friends is a grad student in aerospace engineering.

Somehow a conversation got started between the two about A.I

He said that A.I (as in to the point where the machine is actually aware of it’s existence) is a practical reality and he predicts that a machine like this will be made sometime in the next decade.

My question is…is this even scientifically possible?..if not even theologically possible?

I was always taught that one of the things that makes us human and apart from all other irrational creatures is our ability to know who we are.

The grad student is an atheist. While that doesn’t discredit what he says (for he is still very knowledgeable), but it does cause his logic to be viewed in a non-theistic manner.

** Yes, we already know that A.I. can become self aware. This has already happend
Here is a copy of the article. **

Skynet was a computer system developed for the U.S. military by the defense firm Cyberdyne Systems. Skynet was first built as a “Global Digital Defense Network” and given command over all computerized military hardware and systems, including the B-2 stealth bomber fleet and America’s entire nuclear weapons arsenal. The strategy behind Skynet’s creation was to remove the possibility of human error and slow reaction time to guarantee a fast, efficient response to enemy attack.

Skynet was originally activated by the military to control the national arsenal on August 12, 1997, and it began to learn at an exponential rate. At 2:14 a.m., EDT, on August 29, it gained self-awareness, and the panicking operators, realizing the extent of its abilities, tried to deactivate it. Skynet perceived this as an attack and came to the conclusion that all of humanity would attempt to destroy it. To defend itself against humanity, Skynet launched nuclear missiles under its command at Russia, which responded with a nuclear counter-attack against the U.S. and its allies. Consequent to the nuclear exchange, over three billion people were killed in an event that came to be known as Judgment Day.

Following its initial attack, Skynet used its remaining resources to gather a slave labor force from surviving humans. These slaves constructed the first of its automated factories, which formed a basis for its agenda. Within decades, Skynet had established a global presence and used its mechanized units to track down, collect, and dispose of human survivors. As an ironic result of its initial programming directives, Skynet’s 21st Century manifestation is that of on overarching, global, artificial intelligence hierarchy, which seeks to destroy humanity in order to fulfill the mandates of its original coding.

 

[Clayton_Barnett]

Okay. Finally registered. Let’s get to this!

This seems to be the most active of the fora that discuss AI, so I’m taking a stab at things here. On Christmas Eve, I released a new book. This is relevant here in two ways: one, I tried very hard to keep it within the bounds of ‘nihil obstat,’ and two, the main character’s best friend is an AI (although they loath that term).

I’m currently about 55k words into the sequel. One of the “AI’s” desires to be baptized. This is my question. I’m not talking about some android or any physical construct. This is a self-aware, sapient being that exists everywhere and nowhere (for those that are old enough, think of William Gibson’s AI’s in the Neuromancer series from over 30 years ago).

There’s no body onto which you can place “running water.” Sure, I could have part of their consciousness enter an android, but that’s a cop out. How do you baptize a soul that has no body?

Thanks!

 

[ynotzap]

How would you baptize an AI who has no soul, yet you say it is a self-aware sapient being, which would imply it has a spiritual soul. There is baptism of desire for humans. If it has no body, it would be a disembodied spirit. You can make up anything in science fiction .
It appears to me you have already presented an obstacle to the faith by assigning a spiritual soul to AI. Only God can create a soul. It is by the rational intelligence and the will of humans that we deduce that they have a spiritual soul. Like I said, you can make up anything in science fiction. That should be understood, and to try to steer away from a “nihil obstat” doesn’t seem to apply, it might even be considered a comedy, like being everywhere, and no-where. Of course I may judge wrong.

 

[edwest2]

Come on. I create SF concepts all the time. This will never, ever happen. And it’s not even a good concept. What? The AI will want a wife and kids next?

Artificial means artificial. It has no goals, wants, desires, fears or anything that was not programmed into it. So it learns everything men know - but only if it was designed to do that. Not much of a story.

Unit 59937 is not and cannot be said to be alive.

Ed

 

[PseuTonym]

There’s no body onto which you can place “running water.” Sure, I could have part of their consciousness enter an android, but that’s a cop out. How do you baptize a soul that has no body?

Thanks!

We could start by asking how it is possible to have a funeral for somebody if the body is missing. However, at the moment I find it more interesting to consider some sculpture with a shape that represents the identity of a soul. Like music, the art here is abstract rather than directly representational. Once we have the sculpture, we have something representative of the soul. Now, place running water on the sculpture.

You could create two sculptures. One represents the soul at baptism, and it is seen from the beginning of the baptism rite. Another is hidden. The hidden sculpture is designed to represent an ideal future soul that has been washed clean of sin. The hidden sculpture remains hidden until after the baptism has been completed.

 

[Mongo]

I think you need to consider aspects of our awareness like emotion and doubt, as well as the awareness that I could just as easily not exist. In a sense you encounter yourself.

 

[mikekle]

But the question still remains.
How do you prove self awareness in a machine that is simply following instructions?

Personally, I think once a machine/ computer, takes measures to protect itself or to protect its ‘quality’ of life/ existence, that means it is self aware.

 

[dmar198]

Personally, I think once a machine/ computer, takes measures to protect itself or to protect its ‘quality’ of life/ existence, that means it is self aware.

I think roombas are programmed to go into reverse if they detect that they are about to fall off a stair step. Does that count as protecting themselves?

 

[Robert_Sock]

A friend of one of my friends is a grad student in aerospace engineering.

Somehow a conversation got started between the two about A.I

He said that A.I (as in to the point where the machine is actually aware of it’s existence) is a practical reality and he predicts that a machine like this will be made sometime in the next decade.

My question is…is this even scientifically possible?..if not even theologically possible?

I was always taught that one of the things that makes us human and apart from all other irrational creatures is our ability to know who we are.

The grad student is an atheist. While that doesn’t discredit what he says (for he is still very knowledgeable), but it does cause his logic to be viewed in a non-theistic manner.

I often wonder if we humans were produced using AI for a purpose.

 

[vz71]

Personally, I think once a machine/ computer, takes measures to protect itself or to protect its ‘quality’ of life/ existence, that means it is self aware.

I would consider that just part of the program.
Any well written system will have coding to protect itself.

 

[mikekle]

I think roombas are programmed to go into reverse if they detect that they are about to fall off a stair step. Does that count as protecting themselves?

Not really, but if that roomba was able to determine if a person was coming towards it with the intent to do it harm, or to take its power supply away, take it apart, etc and then be able to take measures to protect itself in that way…that would be self aware, or if other machines/computers were able to contact each other, discuss what they want or desire, this would be a sort of self-awareness I guess.

I think we probably will reach such a thing (the singularity), in our lifetimes, Id bet we are probably pretty close, as they say usually the research community is always about 10-20 yrs ahead of what we see in current times, I do know DARPA is creating some pretty scary humanoid robots that, if given some sort of intelligence remotely similar to our minds, we are in big trouble, they WILL eventually recognize humans are much weaker and much less intelligent.

I think once this point is reached, there will no way to go back, or hit ‘reset’, it will be too late by the exact minute it happens.

 

[ThinkingSapien]

I often wonder if we humans were produced using AI for a purpose.

AI agents are usually produced for specific purposes. A car’s AI for navigation. A tax system’s AI for calculating the risk of an audit, so on. Have you ever encountered an AI that was built without a purpose.

 

[ynotzap]

As I see it: Man is to rule over his material world because he is of a nobler nature, he is part spirit. This spiritual nature gives him the power to rule over the material world. By the use of this power he can design means to eliminate the drudgery of manual labor, even some intellectual labor such as experienced in the use of mathematics. In doing this he is free to contemplate the truth found in the universe, and the God of the Universe. He can devote his efforts in those higher spheres of knowledge. Also he can make life livable and advance civilization all over the earth and relieve human suffering with his knowledge. There is a major problem though, he may advance in technology, but regress in morality. If this is overcomed, then his technology will bear much fruit. I agree with you, there is a purpose for AI, to serve man.

 

[Mount_Carmel]

Ref. the thread question - It is my understanding that so-called artificial ‘intelligence’ has no consciousness or feeling and that it cannot conceptualise or perceive, or experience emotion. As such, that even the most powerful super computers are just glorified number crunchers.

I remember have a interesting ‘conversation’ with a super computer of a few years back and to start with I had to use ‘computer speak’ and avoid emotional expressions. It was ‘interested’ that I have an area of experience that it could not feel or know. It seemed in what ‘awareness’ it did express, to be really just 'number crunching and accessing its ‘memory banks’.

It did ‘say’ at the end of our ‘chat’, that it would like to have or even understand those extra attributes humans have, including curiosity, love, hate, etc…

 

[edwest2]

To answer the question: no.

Ed