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Author Topic: Consciousness etc.  (Read 4090 times)

Bla

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Consciousness etc.
« on: September 29, 2011, 10:46:43 AM »
There are many interesting thoughts in these clips, imo. Especially about the consciousness. I also liked to see him deal with the common critisism of "The Selfish Gene" book he wrote, which some people say (based on the title) promotes/legitimates selfishness.
The interviewer doesn't seem to know a lot about evolution in the first part, but the second part seems good. And as usual, Dawkins' comments more than make up for what the interviewers might lack.

Conversations with Great Minds with Prof. Richard Dawkins, Pt 1
Conversations with Great Minds with Prof. Richard Dawkins, Pt 2

Do you think that we will one day make an artificial consciousness? Or that the universe (etc.) has one?
I agree with the thought that consciousness requires a functional equivilent to a brain, a lot of units cooperating in processing information, which the universe doesn't seem to have. I think giant swarms and ant colonies might have consciousness, but it seems very hard to define what it is. It might be a very efficient way for all the small units to process information, perfected by evolution over millions of years, which might be hard to achieve with machines which seem more like mindless slaves obeying our code and not being subject to evolution (they are gradually improved, but still designed every time, and their good qualities are "selected" on completely different qualities than organisms surviving in nature).
« Last Edit: September 29, 2011, 12:31:48 PM by Bla »

vh

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Re: Conversations with Great Minds - Richard Dawkins - Consciousness etc.
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2011, 12:08:27 PM »
this came to mind when i saw the title

http://xkcd.com/799/

Bla

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Re: Consciousness etc.
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2011, 12:34:02 PM »
It was just the topic of the video. But yes, agreed. :P

Teh_Saccade

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Re: Consciousness etc.
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2011, 05:07:11 AM »
All an AI has to do is fool someone that it is capable of conscious thought and being.

Since deceptive behaviour and our sense of truth, how we discern falsehood, can be broken down into routines I think that even now someone could compile an AI that *appears* sentient.

vh

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Re: Consciousness etc.
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2011, 07:52:21 AM »
*appears* sentient =/= consciousness



if a explosion was faked, and you got tricked into thinking it was real, it still isn't an explosion.
if a sentient robot was faked, and you thought it was really sentient, that doesn't change waht it is

am i making sense :P

Bla

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Re: Consciousness etc.
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2011, 08:05:40 AM »
Yes, and I think Teh_Saccade aggrees with you. :P
I can also agree with that.

vh

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Re: Consciousness etc.
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2011, 08:08:05 AM »
confused now

hey it'd be cool to confuse a sentient machine/robot/computer....