Artificial Intelligence Stack Exchange
Artificial Intelligence Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [artificial-consciousness]

For questions related to artificial consciousness (aka synthetic consciousness or machine consciousness). Largely synonymous with "Self Awareness", but restricted to engineered artifacts (AIs).

Artificial consciousness (AC), also known as machine consciousness (MC) or synthetic consciousness (Gamez 2008; Reggia 2013), is a field related to artificial intelligence and cognitive robotics. The aim of the theory of artificial consciousness is to "Define that which would have to be synthesized were consciousness to be found in an engineered artifact" (Aleksander 1995).

Neuroscience hypothesizes that consciousness is generated by the interoperation of various parts of the brain, called the neural correlates of consciousness or NCC, though there are challenges to that perspective. Proponents of AC believe it is possible to construct systems (e.g., computer systems) that can emulate this NCC interoperation.

Artificial consciousness concepts are also pondered in the philosophy of artificial intelligence through questions about mind, consciousness, and mental states.

(source: Artificial Consciousness (Wikipedia))

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What are the current theories on the development of a conscious AI?

What are the current theories on the development of a conscious AI? Is anyone even trying to develop a conscious AI? Is it possible that consciousness is an emergent phenomenon, that is, once we put enough complexity into our system, it will become…
Micky-D
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How does one prove comprehension in machines?

Say we have a machine and we give it a task to do (vision task, language task, game, etc.), how can one prove that a machine actually know's what's going on/happening in that specific task? To narrow it down, some examples: Conversation - How would…
Landon G
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Is consciousness necessary for any AI task?

Consciousness is challenging to define, but for this question let's define it as "actually experiencing sensory input as opposed to just putting a bunch of data through an inanimate machine." Humans, of course, have minds; for normal computers, all…
Ben N
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How important is consciousness for making advanced artificial intelligence?

How important is consciousness and self-consciousness for making advanced AIs? How far away are we from making such? When making e.g. a neural network there's (very probably) no consciousness within it, but just mathematics behind, but do we need…
Mr. Eivind
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What kind of simulated environment is complex enough to develop a general AI?

Imagine trying to create a simulated virtual environment that is complicated enough to create a "general AI" (which I define as a self aware AI) but is as simple as possible. What would this minimal environment be like? i.e. An environment that was…
zooby
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Could humans hurt a conscious or sentient AI?

If a conscious AI is possible, would it also be possible for someone who knows what they are doing to torture (or hurt) the AI? Could this be avoided? How? This question deals with computer-based AI, not robots, which are as conscious as people…
Destructible Lemon
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Current limitations to artificial consciousness

With some knowledge of machine learning and deep learning, it seems very unlikely for AI to develop into the consciousness that we imagine. To me, consciousness requires a new framework that is very different from what we have today, as current…
sma
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"AI will kill us all! The machines will rise up!" - what is being done to dispel such myths?

Science Fiction has frequently shown AI to be a threat to the very existence of mankind. AI systems have often been the antagonists in many works of fiction, from 2001: A Space Odyssey through to The Terminator and beyond. The Media seems to buy…
Jimmery
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Does AI rely on determinism?

I don’t believe in free will, but most people do. Although I’m not sure how an act of free will could even be described (let alone replicated), is libertarian freewill something that is considered for AI? Or is AI understood to be deterministic?
Cannabijoy
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How does Lucas's argument work?

In Minds, Machines and Gödel (1959), J. R. Lucas shows that any human mathematician can not be represented by an algorithmic automaton (a Turing Machine, but any computer is equivalent to it by the Church-Turing thesis), using Gödel's incompleteness…
wythagoras
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Will an AI ever understand its own functionality?

Assuming I have a quite advanced AI with consciousness which can understand the basics of electronics and software structures. Will it ever be able to understand that its consciousness is just some bits in memory and threads in an operating system?
Andy
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Can the first emergence of consciousness in evolution be replicated in AI?

At some point in time during the evolution, because of some factors, some beings first started to become conscious of themselves and their surroundings. That conscious experience is beyond some mere sensory reflexive actions trained. Can that be…
Vivek Krishna
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Can we create a conscious agent by having two units: one rational and the other conscious?

Suppose we create two units (or programs) that run in parallel and we label them as a cognitive unit and the conscious cognitive unit. A human has two units analogously. A rational analyzer and not so rational analyzer. (Is there any third…
DivineCoder
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How agent's reasoning skills can improve its reinforcement learning?

Agent can have reasoning skills (prediction, taking calculated guesses, etc.) and those skills can help reinforcement learning of this agent. Of course, reinforcement learning itself can help to develop reasoning skills. Are there research that…
TomR
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Which fields of AI are actively researching consciousness?

Max Tegmark discusses the topic of consciousness in his book Life 3.0 and comes to the conclusion, that consciousness is substrate independent. If his analysis is correct, it should be possible to create artificial consciousness. The integrated…
Demento
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