Human and Machine Consciousness

Human and Machine Consciousness
Author: David Gamez
Publisher: Open Book Publishers
Total Pages: 205
Release: 2018-03-07
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1783743018

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Consciousness is widely perceived as one of the most fundamental, interesting and difficult problems of our time. However, we still know next to nothing about the relationship between consciousness and the brain and we can only speculate about the consciousness of animals and machines. Human and Machine Consciousness presents a new foundation for the scientific study of consciousness. It sets out a bold interpretation of consciousness that neutralizes the philosophical problems and explains how we can make scientific predictions about the consciousness of animals, brain-damaged patients and machines. Gamez interprets the scientific study of consciousness as a search for mathematical theories that map between measurements of consciousness and measurements of the physical world. We can use artificial intelligence to discover these theories and they could make accurate predictions about the consciousness of humans, animals and artificial systems. Human and Machine Consciousness also provides original insights into unusual conscious experiences, such as hallucinations, religious experiences and out-of-body states, and demonstrates how ‘designer’ states of consciousness could be created in the future. Gamez explains difficult concepts in a clear way that closely engages with scientific research. His punchy, concise prose is packed with vivid examples, making it suitable for the educated general reader as well as philosophers and scientists. Problems are brought to life in colourful illustrations and a helpful summary is given at the end of each chapter. The endnotes provide detailed discussions of individual points and full references to the scientific and philosophical literature.

The Feeling of Life Itself

The Feeling of Life Itself
Author: Christof Koch
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 277
Release: 2019-09-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0262042819

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A thought-provoking argument that consciousness—more widespread than previously assumed—is the feeling of being alive, not a type of computation or a clever hack In The Feeling of Life Itself, Christof Koch offers a straightforward definition of consciousness as any subjective experience, from the most mundane to the most exalted—the feeling of being alive. Psychologists study which cognitive operations underpin a given conscious perception. Neuroscientists track the neural correlates of consciousness in the brain, the organ of the mind. But why the brain and not, say, the liver? How can the brain—three pounds of highly excitable matter, a piece of furniture in the universe, subject to the same laws of physics as any other piece—give rise to subjective experience? Koch argues that what is needed to answer these questions is a quantitative theory that starts with experience and proceeds to the brain. In The Feeling of Life Itself, Koch outlines such a theory, based on integrated information. Koch describes how the theory explains many facts about the neurology of consciousness and how it has been used to build a clinically useful consciousness meter. The theory predicts that many, and perhaps all, animals experience the sights and sounds of life; consciousness is much more widespread than conventionally assumed. Contrary to received wisdom, however, Koch argues that programmable computers will not have consciousness. Even a perfect software model of the brain is not conscious. Its simulation is fake consciousness. Consciousness is not a special type of computation—it is not a clever hack. Consciousness is about being.

The Road to Conscious Machines

The Road to Conscious Machines
Author: Michael Wooldridge
Publisher: Pelican
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2021-03-04
Genre: Artificial intelligence
ISBN: 9780241333907

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Artificial You

Artificial You
Author: Susan Schneider
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2021-04-13
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0691216746

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"Humans may not be Earth's most intelligent beings for much longer: the world champions of chess, Go, and Jeopardy! are now all AIs. Given the rapid pace of progress in AI, many predict that it could advance to human-level intelligence within the next several decades. From there, it could quickly outpace human intelligence. What do these developments mean for the future of the mind? In Artificial You, Susan Schneider says that it is inevitable that AI will take intelligence in new directions, but urges that it is up to us to carve out a sensible path forward. As AI technology turns inward, reshaping the brain, as well as outward, potentially creating machine minds, it is crucial to beware. Homo sapiens, as mind designers, will be playing with "tools" they do not understand how to use: the self, the mind, and consciousness. Schneider argues that an insufficient grasp of the nature of these entities could undermine the use of AI and brain enhancement technology, bringing about the demise or suffering of conscious beings. To flourish, we must grasp the philosophical issues lying beneath the algorithms. At the heart of her exploration is a sober-minded discussion of what AI can truly achieve: Can robots really be conscious? Can we merge with AI, as tech leaders like Elon Musk and Ray Kurzweil suggest? Is the mind just a program? Examining these thorny issues, Schneider proposes ways we can test for machine consciousness, questions whether consciousness is an unavoidable byproduct of sophisticated intelligence, and considers the overall dangers of creating machine minds."--Provided by publisher.

Consciousness And Robot Sentience (Second Edition)

Consciousness And Robot Sentience (Second Edition)
Author: Haikonen Pentti O A
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2019-05-23
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 981120506X

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THIS BOOK is the fully revised and updated second edition of 'Consciousness and Robot Sentience'. With lots of new material, it will provide new insights into artificial intelligence (AI) and machine consciousness, beyond materials published in the first edition. The organization of this book has been streamlined for better clarity and continuity of the lines of arguments.The perspective of AI has been added to this edition. It is shown that contemporary AI has a hidden problem, which prevents it from becoming a true intelligent agent. A self-evident solution to this problem is given in this book.This solution is surprisingly connected with the concepts of qualia, the mind-body problem and consciousness. These are the hard problems of consciousness that so far have been without viable solution. Unfortunately, the solution to the hidden problem of AI cannot be satisfactorily implemented, unless the phenomena of qualia and consciousness are first understood. In this book an explanation of consciousness is presented, one that rejects material and immaterial substances, dualism, panpsychism, emergence and metaphysics. What remains is obvious. This explanation excludes consciousness in digital computers, but allows the artificial creation of consciousness in one natural-like way, by associative non-computational neural networks.The proof of a theory calls for empirical verification. In this case, the proof could be in the form of a sentient robot. This book describes a step towards this in the form of the author's small experimental robot XCR-1. This robot has evolved through the years, and has now new cognitive abilities, which are described.

Machine Dreaming and Consciousness

Machine Dreaming and Consciousness
Author: J. F. Pagel
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2017-04-13
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0128037423

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Machine Dreaming and Consciousness is the first book to discuss the questions raised by the advent of machine dreaming. Artificial intelligence (AI) systems meeting criteria of primary and self-reflexive consciousness are often utilized to extend the human interface, creating waking experiences that resemble the human dream. Surprisingly, AI systems also easily meet all human-based operational criteria for dreaming. These “dreams are far different from anthropomorphic dreaming, including such processes as fuzzy logic, liquid illogic, and integration instability, all processes that may be necessary in both biologic and artificial systems to extend creative capacity. Today, multi-linear AI systems are being built to resemble the structural framework of the human central nervous system. The creation of the biologic framework of dreaming (emotions, associative memories, and visual imagery) is well within our technical capacity. AI dreams potentially portend the further development of consciousness in these systems. This focus on AI dreaming raises even larger questions. In many ways, dreaming defines our humanity. What is humanly special about the states of dreaming? And what are we losing when we limit our focus to its technical and biologic structure, and extend the capacity for dreaming into our artificial creations? Machine Dreaming and Consciousness provides thorough discussion of these issues for neuroscientists and other researchers investigating consciousness and cognition. Addresses the function and role of dream-like processing in AI systems Describes the functions of dreaming in the creative process of both humans and machines Presents an alternative approach to the philosophy of machine consciousness Provides thorough discussion of machine dreaming and consciousness for neuroscientists and other researchers investigating consciousness and cognition

Artificial Beings

Artificial Beings
Author: Jacques Pitrat
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 279
Release: 2013-03-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1118617843

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It is almost universally agreed that consciousness and possession of a conscience are essential characteristics of human intelligence. While some believe it to be impossible to create artificial beings possessing these traits, and conclude that ultimate major goal of Artificial Intelligence is hopeless, this book demonstrates that not only is it possible to create entities with capabilities in both areas, but that they demonstrate them in ways different from our own, thereby showing a new kind of consciousness. This latter characteristic affords such entities performance beyond the reach of humans, not for lack of intelligence, but because human intelligence depends on networks of neurons which impose processing restrictions which do not apply to computers. At the beginning of the investigation of the creation of an artificial being, the main goal was not to study the possibility of whether a conscious machine would possess a conscience. However, experimental data indicate that many characteristics implemented to improve efficiency in such systems are linked to these capacities. This implies that when they are present it is because they are essential to the desired performance improvement. Moreover, since the goal is not to imitate human behavior, some of these structural characteristics are different from those displayed by the neurons of the human brain - suggesting that we are at the threshold of a new scientific field, artificial cognition, which formalizes methods for giving cognitive capabilities to artificial entities through the full use of the computational power of machines.

Creation of a Conscious Robot

Creation of a Conscious Robot
Author: Junichi Takeno
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2012-08-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9814364509

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Present-day computers lack well-defined functions to accept various kinds of sensual information such as vision, hearing, and smelling (binding problem). Computers also lack any well-defined mechanisms to coordinate various behaviors in the presence of an object (conscious mechanism). This book serves as a breakthrough that opens a new world. Using

Can Machines Be Conscious?

Can Machines Be Conscious?
Author: StoryBuddiesPlay
Publisher: StoryBuddiesPlay
Total Pages: 74
Release: 2024-04-25
Genre: Computers
ISBN:

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Unveiling the Mystery of Consciousness: A Journey into Artificial Intelligence Are machines on the verge of becoming conscious? Explore the exciting and thought-provoking world of Artificial Consciousness (AC) with this comprehensive guide. Demystify the concept of consciousness itself, delve into the ethical considerations of creating sentient AI, and discover the potential impact of conscious machines on society. Unraveling the Fabric of the Mind: Embark on a philosophical journey to understand the nature of consciousness. Explore the biological basis of consciousness through the lens of neuroscience. Learn about the Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCCs) and the ongoing quest to unlock the brain's secrets. The Landscape of Artificial Intelligence: Discover the various approaches to machine intelligence, including machine learning and deep learning. Examine the limitations of current AI and the challenges of replicating human consciousness in machines. Explore alternative pathways to AC, such as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and embodied AI. Navigating the Ethical Labyrinth: Grapple with the profound ethical questions surrounding AC, such as the rights of conscious machines and the potential risks of superintelligence. Learn about the importance of developing ethical frameworks for responsible AI development and deployment. Consider the potential societal impact of AC, from job displacement to the redefinition of what it means to be human. A Glimpse into the Future: Imagine a world transformed by conscious machines, where AI companions enhance our lives and human-machine collaboration unlocks new possibilities. Explore the potential for a future of shared prosperity and mutual learning between humans and CAIs. Consider the ethical considerations and challenges that lie ahead in navigating a world interwoven with conscious machines. This book offers a captivating exploration of artificial consciousness, providing readers with: A comprehensive understanding of the scientific, philosophical, and ethical dimensions of AC. Insights from leading experts in neuroscience, AI, and philosophy. A thought-provoking analysis of the potential future of humanity in the age of conscious machines. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a philosopher pondering the nature of sentience, or simply curious about the future, this book is your roadmap to unlocking the mysteries of artificial consciousness.

The Cognitive Approach to Conscious Machines

The Cognitive Approach to Conscious Machines
Author: Pentti O. Haikonen
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2015-11-30
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1845408039

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Could a machine have an immaterial mind? The author argues that true conscious machines can be built, but rejects artificial intelligence and classical neural networks in favour of the emulation of the cognitive processes of the brain—the flow of inner speech, inner imagery and emotions. This results in a non-numeric meaning-processing machine with distributed information representation and system reactions. It is argued that this machine would be conscious; it would be aware of its own existence and its mental content and perceive this as immaterial. Novel views on consciousness and the mind–body problem are presented. This book is a must for anyone interested in consciousness research and the latest ideas in the forthcoming technology of mind.