Will computers ever become conscious? (B)

Last updated on: December 24, 2019 at 9:21 am by Dan Peterson

Will computers ever become conscious? (B) 2019-12-24T09:21:34-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

On the frontiers of scientific inquiry (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

Continued from “Will computers ever become conscious? (A)”, drawing from Christof Koch, “Proust among the Machines: Within our lifetimes, computers could approach human-level intelligence. But will they be able to consciously experience the world?” Scientific American (December 2019):

Contemplating the question of whether or not machines will ever be conscious, Christof Koch observes, “we inevitably come to a fork up ahead, leading to two fundamentally different destinations” (48).

The first of the two alternative paths that he describes is a popular one in science fiction — if nothing else, think of C-3PO and R2-D2 in Star Wars — in which genuinely intelligent machines will be sentient. Not only will they speak, but they will reason, monitor themselves, and engage in introspection. If that wouldn’t be consciousness, it’s difficult to see what would qualify as consciousness.

Dr. Koch sees the global neuronal network (GNW) theory, one of the dominant current scientific theories of consciousness, as pointing most clearly in this direction: “GNW theory fully embraces the contemporary mythos of the near-infinite powers of computation. Consciousness is just a clever hack away” (48).

The alternative to GNW that Dr. Koch next mentions is what he calls “integrated information theory” or “IIT.” It is clearly his own preference: “Giulio Tononi, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is the chief architect of IIT, with others, myself included, contributing” (49).

Dr. Koch’s position is implied in that comment about integrated information theory, but it’s quite explicit in the title of one of the items recommended for further reading at the end of his article: “The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can’t Be Computed. Christof Koch. MIT Press, 2019.”

He contrasts the approaches of GNW and IIT by means of an illustration that, right now, seems pure science fiction: Suppose that a person dies, but that her brain has been completely scanned at the ultrastructural level — all of its roughly 100 billion neurons and quadrillion synapses. It would then be possible, theoretically speaking, to recreate the deceased person’s brain on a computer, and thereby to coax the computer into speech, to plumb the person’s memories, fears, cravings, and other traits.

GNW posits that the deceased person will actually have been reincarnated inside the machine, and that she will be quite literally conscious. (This has, of course, been a popular trope in some science fiction and horror tales.)

“IIT posits a radically different interpretation of this situation: the simulacrum will feel as much as the software running on a fancy Japanese toilet — nothing. It will act like a person but without any innate feelings, a zombie (but without any desire to eat human flesh) — the ultimate deepfake” (49).

problem of consciousness

Previous Post

December 7, 2019

LDS Inc. (Part Eight)

Next Post

December 7, 2019 A memory from southeastern Austria

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who is commended in 3 John for walking in the truth?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Philemon Diotrephes Gaius Demetrius