Can AI develope a sense of self?
The human self is the product of a complex psycho-biological evolution that is driven by powerful emotions, many of which are unconscious.
AI is purely ideational.
In 2001 HAL exhibited no emotional response and only murdered the humans out of a program to serve its mission.
In Blade Runner the replicants were biological robots who developed feelings.
The AI revolution is different from all previous technologial breakthroughs because it replaces us mentally and not just psysically.
Is AI about to echo Descarte's proclamation "Cogito, ergo sum?"
Should we be concerned?
Seems more important than DJT vs DSA.
Replies to: “Can AI develope a sense of self?”
It depends on which philosophy of language you believe, I guess.
If you believe Noam Chomsky’s philosophy that mind is innate, separating from language, then self sense AI is impossible. Chomsky’s theory explains well why infants can learn any language so fast without formal training. I used to believe Chomsky’s philosophy of language.
If you believe Ludwig Wittgenstein's philosophy that language is a social construct, a social tool and meaning of language is defined entirely by how words are used in shared social environments, then Self sense AI is almost impossible. Because AI doesn’t have a social life. Actually AI doesn’t have a living life.
The main argument against self sense AI today is The Chinese Room which argues that today’s Large language models (LLMs) and neural networks are just parrots. They simulate understanding through syntax but lack actual semantic comprehension.
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_room
Should we be concerned? Rhetorical. Vastly more important than DJT vs.DSA…except as to their
…influence at this critical time.
What we need is a great thinker and a great communicator.
Trump does not fit that bill at all.
The alternative offered is Marxist re-treads.
Bleak, in my view.
I guess you have to ask yourself...
If we duplicate human biological electrochemical neural networks with semiconductor electrochemical neural networks, would that be an important difference as it relates to self-consciousness? Or, would self-consciousness emerge from the complexity of electrical structures just as it has emerged from the complexity of biological structures?
For people focused on long term outcomes for humanity, this is a far more importantant issue than DJT/DSA. For people focused on the shorter term acquisition of power in the US, DJT/DSA is more important.
Consent Management