Is AI Inherently Dualistic?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Picklehead
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Ai
Click For Summary
The discussion centers on whether the concept of artificial intelligence (AI) is inherently dualistic. The Chinese Room argument by Searle raises questions about the relationship between minds and brains, suggesting that if minds are products of brains, creating an artificial brain could lead to an artificial mind. This challenges the notion of dualism, as an artificial mind could exist without implying a separation between mind and body. The conversation also touches on the distinction between intelligent software and artificial brains, indicating that while intelligent software may suggest dualism, an artificial brain producing an artificial mind does not necessarily imply the same. The complexities of computational equivalence and the meaning of "artificial" in AI further complicate the discussion, leading to confusion about the implications of these concepts.
Picklehead
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Question: Is the concept of AI inherently dualistic? I personally don't believe so, but after reading Searl's Chinese Room argument, he does bring up a good point.

Minds, as we currently know them, reside in, or are the products of, or are our brains. Is the idea that we can take what goes on in our heads and separate it completely from what is actually in our heads, and use that to create a completely differently substrate that does the same thing not just an example of computational equivalence, but also subtly dualistic?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Picklehead said:
Question: Is the concept of AI inherently dualistic? I personally don't believe so, but after reading Searl's Chinese Room argument, he does bring up a good point.

Minds, as we currently know them, reside in, or are the products of, or are our brains. Is the idea that we can take what goes on in our heads and separate it completely from what is actually in our heads, and use that to create a completely differently substrate that does the same thing not just an example of computational equivalence, but also subtly dualistic?

Perhaps in the trivial way of software/hardware duality. I should think that the fact that I can copy the information from a floppy onto my PC and then burn the same information onto a CD-ROM is the same concept.
 
That's a tricky one!
In many ways, the answer ot this question seems to hinge upon what is meant by the word 'artificial' in AI.
If we accept Searle's axiom that 'brains cause minds', then surely, an 'artificial' brain could cause an artificial mind, and arguably, the mind so caused would be artificial only in the sense of having been created, rather than born of a parent; it would be an actual mind, nonetheless. If such an artificial mind is caused by an artificial brain with artificial qualia, then no duality need be inferred.
This is not the same as the concept of AI in the form of intelligent software, which does indeed appear to suggest dualism.
I'm confused...
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
4K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
622
Replies
10
Views
5K
Replies
5
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • · Replies 40 ·
2
Replies
40
Views
5K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
829