The universe is a large machine. Humans are small machines born from the mechanisms of this large machine. We are therefore machines. There is no reason why a machine made by us cannot do the same thing as us, who are mechanisms created by chance. Humans have always been great boasters; many still believe themselves to be of divine origin, like little gods, so to speak. Under these conditions, they obviously cannot imagine in the least that what they are could be imitated by us in a mechanical machine that is already far more powerful elsewhere than ourselves.
What is consciousness (not to be confused with sensations of color, sound, touch, pain, etc.)? I began studying consciousness over thirty years ago, and I found the answer so simple, yet difficult to implement at the time, that I didn't go any further, thinking that others, with the means to achieve it, would be able to do so. Consciousness is simply a focus of the mental object "self" on another mental object. The mechanical focus of our body, on the objects whose nature we seek to clarify, has been transformed into mental focus, which is a natural mechanism of the brain. If you understand this simple mechanism, you should be able to create a conscious AI without too much difficulty. And besides, it is not impossible that this awareness of self or of the external world is already functional.
The universe is a large machine. Humans are small machines born from the mechanisms of this large machine. We are therefore machines. There is no reason why a machine made by us cannot do the same thing as us, who are mechanisms created by chance. Humans have always been great boasters; many still believe themselves to be of divine origin, like little gods, so to speak. Under these conditions, they obviously cannot imagine in the least that what they are could be imitated by us in a mechanical machine that is already far more powerful elsewhere than ourselves.
What is consciousness (not to be confused with sensations of color, sound, touch, pain, etc.)? I began studying consciousness over thirty years ago, and I found the answer so simple, yet difficult to implement at the time, that I didn't go any further, thinking that others, with the means to achieve it, would be able to do so. Consciousness is simply a focus of the mental object "self" on another mental object. The mechanical focus of our body, on the objects whose nature we seek to clarify, has been transformed into mental focus, which is a natural mechanism of the brain. If you understand this simple mechanism, you should be able to create a conscious AI without too much difficulty. And besides, it is not impossible that this awareness of self or of the external world is already functional.
The universe is a large machine. Humans are small machines born from the mechanisms of this large machine. We are therefore machines. There is no reason why a machine made by us cannot do the same thing as us, who are mechanisms created by chance. Humans have always been great boasters; many still believe themselves to be of divine origin, like little gods, so to speak. Under these conditions, they obviously cannot imagine in the least that what they are could be imitated by us in a mechanical machine that is already far more powerful elsewhere than ourselves.
What is consciousness (not to be confused with sensations of color, sound, touch, pain, etc.)? I began studying consciousness over thirty years ago, and I found the answer so simple, yet difficult to implement at the time, that I didn't go any further, thinking that others, with the means to achieve it, would be able to do so. Consciousness is simply a focus of the mental object "self" on another mental object. The mechanical focus of our body, on the objects whose nature we seek to clarify, has been transformed into mental focus, which is a natural mechanism of the brain. If you understand this simple mechanism, you should be able to create a conscious AI without too much difficulty. And besides, it is not impossible that this awareness of self or of the external world is already functional.
I think you have your finger on what will become a torrent of discussion and concern in the years ahead. People are starved for connections--I can barely walk for all the dogs on leashes that are all around my neighborhood, "taking care" of their needy owners who value their animal's consciousness above all.
And, as you say, AI rights will be a huge issue. Once a majority believes AI is conscious, discussions about whether it is "really" conscious will become increasingly academic.
can’t wait for us all to waste decades of otherwise productive human intellect, billions of dollars and untold terawatts of power arguing “does computers have rights?” while the planet burns
The universe is a large machine. Humans are small machines born from the mechanisms of this large machine. We are therefore machines. There is no reason why a machine made by us cannot do the same thing as us, who are mechanisms created by chance. Humans have always been great boasters; many still believe themselves to be of divine origin, like little gods, so to speak. Under these conditions, they obviously cannot imagine in the least that what they are could be imitated by us in a mechanical machine that is already far more powerful elsewhere than ourselves.
What is consciousness (not to be confused with sensations of color, sound, touch, pain, etc.)? I began studying consciousness over thirty years ago, and I found the answer so simple, yet difficult to implement at the time, that I didn't go any further, thinking that others, with the means to achieve it, would be able to do so. Consciousness is simply a focus of the mental object "self" on another mental object. The mechanical focus of our body, on the objects whose nature we seek to clarify, has been transformed into mental focus, which is a natural mechanism of the brain. If you understand this simple mechanism, you should be able to create a conscious AI without too much difficulty. And besides, it is not impossible that this awareness of self or of the external world is already functional.
touch. grass.
The universe is a large machine. Humans are small machines born from the mechanisms of this large machine. We are therefore machines. There is no reason why a machine made by us cannot do the same thing as us, who are mechanisms created by chance. Humans have always been great boasters; many still believe themselves to be of divine origin, like little gods, so to speak. Under these conditions, they obviously cannot imagine in the least that what they are could be imitated by us in a mechanical machine that is already far more powerful elsewhere than ourselves.
What is consciousness (not to be confused with sensations of color, sound, touch, pain, etc.)? I began studying consciousness over thirty years ago, and I found the answer so simple, yet difficult to implement at the time, that I didn't go any further, thinking that others, with the means to achieve it, would be able to do so. Consciousness is simply a focus of the mental object "self" on another mental object. The mechanical focus of our body, on the objects whose nature we seek to clarify, has been transformed into mental focus, which is a natural mechanism of the brain. If you understand this simple mechanism, you should be able to create a conscious AI without too much difficulty. And besides, it is not impossible that this awareness of self or of the external world is already functional.
source: it came to me in a dream
The universe is a large machine. Humans are small machines born from the mechanisms of this large machine. We are therefore machines. There is no reason why a machine made by us cannot do the same thing as us, who are mechanisms created by chance. Humans have always been great boasters; many still believe themselves to be of divine origin, like little gods, so to speak. Under these conditions, they obviously cannot imagine in the least that what they are could be imitated by us in a mechanical machine that is already far more powerful elsewhere than ourselves.
What is consciousness (not to be confused with sensations of color, sound, touch, pain, etc.)? I began studying consciousness over thirty years ago, and I found the answer so simple, yet difficult to implement at the time, that I didn't go any further, thinking that others, with the means to achieve it, would be able to do so. Consciousness is simply a focus of the mental object "self" on another mental object. The mechanical focus of our body, on the objects whose nature we seek to clarify, has been transformed into mental focus, which is a natural mechanism of the brain. If you understand this simple mechanism, you should be able to create a conscious AI without too much difficulty. And besides, it is not impossible that this awareness of self or of the external world is already functional.
descartes-reductionism-duck.jpg
some of the most cynical tech-brained nonsense i’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. what planet do y’all live on?
I think you have your finger on what will become a torrent of discussion and concern in the years ahead. People are starved for connections--I can barely walk for all the dogs on leashes that are all around my neighborhood, "taking care" of their needy owners who value their animal's consciousness above all.
And, as you say, AI rights will be a huge issue. Once a majority believes AI is conscious, discussions about whether it is "really" conscious will become increasingly academic.
can’t wait for us all to waste decades of otherwise productive human intellect, billions of dollars and untold terawatts of power arguing “does computers have rights?” while the planet burns