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Sikz
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There really isn't much to put in the text of this post except to repeat the subect. Are computers coscious, or rather, could SOME computer PROGRAMS be conscious?
Originally posted by russ_watters
Not yet but soon.
Originally posted by Mentat
The answer is yes, but not in the way you are probably intending. Sikz, you and I are both potent examples of conscious computers. I am a conscious computer, and you are a conscious computer. So is every other person you've met.
I grant you that we are made of different "stuff" then PCs, for example (neurons instead of silicon), however we are still computers and conscious ones at that.
Originally posted by Sikz
There really isn't much to put in the text of this post except to repeat the subect. Are computers coscious, or rather, could SOME computer PROGRAMS be conscious?
Originally posted by selfAdjoint
Well we are meat computers that evolved consciousness, rather than the other way around.
Originally posted by LW Sleeth
Really? If we study the development of modern humans (homo sapiens sapiens), the progression has been characterized by increasing ability in our computing power. So if we were computers first, then how can that be?
No, we were exceptionally self-aware beings first, and then we began developing computing skills.
Originally posted by Sikz
That's all operating on the assumption that ants and the like are NOT conscious.
I believe what LW meant was that animals (not simply humans) ARE conscious, but are not computers (operating on emotion and instinct rather than logic and math). So according to this view humans were always conscious, but only recently (relatively recently, that is) developed into "computers".
Yes, the mind works very much like a computer. But what is it that makes us conscious? And, while I believe it's possible to endow a machine with qualities that reflect our own "conscious experience," I don't know if it's possible to endow it with a soul? Albeit those things which are "non-sentient" in nature are composed of spirit -- energy patterns or fields? -- as well as matter. So it's really hard to say? Our best attempts so far, have only been able to "mimic" the experience.Originally posted by Mentat
The answer is yes, but not in the way you are probably intending. Sikz, you and I are both potent examples of conscious computers. I am a conscious computer, and you are a conscious computer. So is every other person you've met.
I grant you that we are made of different "stuff" then PCs, for example (neurons instead of silicon), however we are still computers and conscious ones at that.
My opinion is that the ability to choose, reason, speculate, etc. are all the characteristics that make something conscious. A computer can't do any of these things because it can only do what it is told to do.
I can't have a conversation with my computer about what it thinks about baby universes.
But, if I did a search on my computer with the keywords "baby, universes, black, holes," then I would come up with something like a Stephen Hawking article. The only reason it comes up with the article is because it was told to do so.
A computer can't speculate or guess because neither of those things are purely based on known "facts" that someone told the computer is true.
Originally posted by Hurkyl
What if the computer is told to choose, reason, and speculate?
Originally posted by ThOrNe
It seems like a computer is necessary for consciousness to exist.
Originally posted by Guybrush Threepwood
so consciousness didn't exist before Eniac, right?
or at least before that guy 200 years ago who made the first computing machine...
Consciousness is the state of being aware of one's surroundings and having the ability to experience subjective thoughts and feelings.
This is a highly debated topic in the field of artificial intelligence. Some believe that computers can achieve a level of consciousness, while others argue that consciousness is a uniquely human trait that cannot be replicated by machines.
There is currently no definitive way to measure consciousness in computers. Some researchers use the Turing test, which evaluates a computer's ability to mimic human conversation, as a measure of consciousness.
Research on computer consciousness is still in its early stages. While some advancements have been made in creating more human-like artificial intelligence, there is no consensus on whether or not computers can truly become conscious.
If computers were to achieve consciousness, it could have significant ethical and philosophical implications. It could also lead to advancements in artificial intelligence and have a major impact on society and the way we interact with technology.