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Can Artificial intelligence gain a soul?
- Thread starter Ori
- Start date
I can see a stage where, if computer technology got to the stage of producing something that 'mimicked' the human brain, presumably, at some stage it would become aware of the differences between itself and us.orichalcum said:
The point is, I don't think I'd want to be the one to break the news to them that they have no Soul!!
sondadareas
Member
Hi,
That's one way at looking at AI, from behaviorism's point of view. I have no doubt that the time will come when we won't be able to distinguish between a robot & a human, from just observing behaviors.
But if we can look at the brains of the robot & a human at the same time, as we perform the following experiment, we can go beyond behaviorism.
It's easy...we just hit the toes of the robot & the human with a small (not big please!) hammer! Then, quickly we look at their brains to see where the "Ouches! F#ck you!" were coming from! If the electronics pulses in the robot's brain were generated by silicon while in the human it's the usual neuronic + peptides between synapses, then we could be pretty sure that the robot was simply feigning pain!
You see, beyond the hardware & software of the human brain there's that additional mystery, consciousness...
peace,
sonda
That's one way at looking at AI, from behaviorism's point of view. I have no doubt that the time will come when we won't be able to distinguish between a robot & a human, from just observing behaviors.
But if we can look at the brains of the robot & a human at the same time, as we perform the following experiment, we can go beyond behaviorism.
It's easy...we just hit the toes of the robot & the human with a small (not big please!) hammer! Then, quickly we look at their brains to see where the "Ouches! F#ck you!" were coming from! If the electronics pulses in the robot's brain were generated by silicon while in the human it's the usual neuronic + peptides between synapses, then we could be pretty sure that the robot was simply feigning pain!
You see, beyond the hardware & software of the human brain there's that additional mystery, consciousness...
peace,
sonda
CaptainXeroid
Following Christ
I hate to invoke Star Trek a second time so early in the morning , but The Next Generation had several episodes exploring the question whether or not the android Data was sentient. I see the question as to whether AI can gain a soul as quite similar: Is a machine's behavior simply an amalgamation of algorithms or is there evidence of a consciousness that transcends the parts and programming? Right now, I would say no, but I am willing to keep observing.
, but The Next Generation had several episodes exploring the question whether or not the android Data was sentient. I see the question as to whether AI can gain a soul as quite similar: Is a machine's behavior simply an amalgamation of algorithms or is there evidence of a consciousness that transcends the parts and programming? Right now, I would say no, but I am willing to keep observing.
Pah
Uber all member
For my Christian friends on the board, I would not like to be around when the AI creature tells them there is no soul. as they understand it. That if there are gods, the gods would be Shockley et al.michel said:...The point is, I don't think I'd want to be the one to break the news to them that they have no Soul!!
robtex
Veteran Member
Don't know your definition of a soul Michel (cause it seems to change from theist to theist) but if it includes a personality I don't see why a computer can't have a personality too. It would be artificial of course but no different in output based on probablities of variables and input of characteristics much like microbiologists have proposed are in our gene codes in recent years.
iaminterface
Member
Well, what if you look at it this way. As a majority of you believe, we were created by a God, or divine being or such, Our creator gave us souls, and decided what happens to our soul when we die. So is it possible that when we create machines, we are playing the part of the creator? We decide what happens to them when they die, are destroyed, so in essence are we giving them a soul? Seems a bit farfectched, but interesting to think on.
Saw11_2000
Well-Known Member
No they can't, because not even humans have souls.
They can act human however. Ehhh....not really act, more so emulate.
They can act human however. Ehhh....not really act, more so emulate.
Master Vigil
Well-Known Member
It wouldn't be a human spirit. Because it isn't human. But if it used energy to move, to think, to "live", yes it would have a spirit. But that is still to be seen. When they are created, I'll tell ya.
robtex
Veteran Member
Computers age. If you age you live right? I mean they don't last forever they have a "shelf life" just like you and I do. They do have wires and circuits that create energy. All we need is a programmer to write a personality program and WHAM!! "instant soul" .Master Vigil said:It wouldn't be a human spirit. Because it isn't human. But if it used energy to move, to think, to "live", yes it would have a spirit. But that is still to be seen. When they are created, I'll tell ya.
energy + personality + shelf life = soul
right?
Master Vigil
Well-Known Member
Sounds about right to me Robtex.
The Voice of Reason
Doctor of Thinkology
Until I have some reason to believe that humans have a "soul", I'll withhold my belief that a computer can have one.
TVOR
TVOR
The Voice of Reason
Doctor of Thinkology
A great question, Sunstone. I guess immediately after that, we will have idiots bombing factories that start to assemble a computer, then do not complete it's production.
What's a motherboard to do??
TVOR
What's a motherboard to do??
TVOR
Until souls can be detected, examined, measured, &c, they remain in the realm of phlogiston, aether and pink unicorns, ie: folklore
There are already chat programs that can fool people into thinking they are chatting with a real person. It's no great stretch to imagine a program that mimics self-aware consciousness to the degree that it is impossible to demonstrate that there is not something self-aware there.
There are many traditions that hold that our own experience of reality is is illusory; that our world is a Matrix-like program; that we're dreaming all this.
There are already chat programs that can fool people into thinking they are chatting with a real person. It's no great stretch to imagine a program that mimics self-aware consciousness to the degree that it is impossible to demonstrate that there is not something self-aware there.
There are many traditions that hold that our own experience of reality is is illusory; that our world is a Matrix-like program; that we're dreaming all this.