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How do you define consciousness?
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Particularly with things such as Artificial Intelligence, it becomes increasingly important for us to have a definition of consciousness; but how would you define it? And is this a state that you think technology could reach?
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#2
One conceptually simple way, but somewhat difficult to parse, is to say consciousness means there is something like to be that thing.
In other words, consciousness is an experience, and that experience is "like" something - it's an experience that can be described.
In regards to AI, there doesn't seem to be anything special about meat that should make us think it's the sole conduit capable of supporting conscious experience. If similar processes occurred in silicon, it could be reasonable to expect consciousness to be present there as well. If something acts conscious, looks conscious, and in all respects seems conscious, you can say it's reasonable to believe it's conscious, but actually proving so is very difficult. This is the so-called hard problem of consciousness - we don't know exactly what results in conscious experience, and it's difficult to see how we could ever find out.
In other words, consciousness is an experience, and that experience is "like" something - it's an experience that can be described.
In regards to AI, there doesn't seem to be anything special about meat that should make us think it's the sole conduit capable of supporting conscious experience. If similar processes occurred in silicon, it could be reasonable to expect consciousness to be present there as well. If something acts conscious, looks conscious, and in all respects seems conscious, you can say it's reasonable to believe it's conscious, but actually proving so is very difficult. This is the so-called hard problem of consciousness - we don't know exactly what results in conscious experience, and it's difficult to see how we could ever find out.
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#3
consciousness is illusion which is going to be illuminated in coming century, wait and watch
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#4
The ability to experience life.
I don't think anything inanimate has conciousness like we do but I can't prove it.
I mean who knows forget AI - your own macbook might be concious lol.
I don't think anything inanimate has conciousness like we do but I can't prove it.
I mean who knows forget AI - your own macbook might be concious lol.
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#5
(Original post by physicst)
consciousness is illusion which is going to be illuminated in coming century, wait and watch
consciousness is illusion which is going to be illuminated in coming century, wait and watch
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#6
(Original post by miser)
Consciousness is the one thing that can't be an illusion. Everything else might be - maybe you can't trust anything your senses tell you - but your senses nevertheless do exist. Your feelings in every moment are proof that you are conscious.
Consciousness is the one thing that can't be an illusion. Everything else might be - maybe you can't trust anything your senses tell you - but your senses nevertheless do exist. Your feelings in every moment are proof that you are conscious.
You do know your mind exists. Your ability to think is the only thing you know is real... from what I read anyway.
Edit: Oh wait I think you just said that. My bad. But how do you know your senses exist if you can't trust them?
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#7
(Original post by angelike1)
You don't know whether your senses exist. It could be a massive trick played by your brain.
You do know your mind exists. Your ability to think is the only thing you know is real... from what I read anyway.
Edit: Oh wait I think you just said that. My bad. But how do you know your senses exist if you can't trust them?
You don't know whether your senses exist. It could be a massive trick played by your brain.
You do know your mind exists. Your ability to think is the only thing you know is real... from what I read anyway.
Edit: Oh wait I think you just said that. My bad. But how do you know your senses exist if you can't trust them?
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#8
(Original post by miser)
You know your senses exist because you feel them. You can doubt you have eyes, you can doubt what they see is really there, you can doubt you even have a brain, but you can't doubt that you have visual sensation.
You know your senses exist because you feel them. You can doubt you have eyes, you can doubt what they see is really there, you can doubt you even have a brain, but you can't doubt that you have visual sensation.
By brain I was referring to the mind.
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#9
Im guessing in the coming future we will be able to transport human minds into robotic "suits", that will interesting, we are already working on the concept of transplanting one human head to another body.
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