The question of whether a machine can develop consciousness raises a technical, ethical and philosophical question. The definition of consciousness is complex. Understanding whether something similar to consciousness can emerge in artificial intelligence This is a topic that will continue to be debated for years to come..
Blaise Agüera y Arcas, vice president of Google, commented in an article for The economist that Neural networks ‘are approaching a level that appears to indicate consciousness’. It also clearly shows that the debate about consciousness in artificial intelligence is still far from being resolved.
Consciousness and awareness
To understand whether artificial intelligence can be conscious, we must first distinguish between two concepts: consciousness and awareness. According to neuroscientist Antonio Damasio’s model, “consciousness” refers to the ability to form mental representations of what is happening in the external world and in one’s own body.
On the other hand, “consciousness” has to do with the neural capacity to be aware of this awareness. In other words, reflect on one’s own perceptions.
artificial intelligence already presents the characteristics of what one might call a “protoconsciousness”. By using sensors and self-diagnostic processes, you can detect what is happening both within your system and in its external environment. In addition, it has a “central consciousness” that allows it to recognize these events and make decisions.
Added to the above is an “amplified consciousness.”. This means that the AI “thinks” about its decisions using a kind of “autobiographical memory”. It stores large volumes of information with great efficiency.
Imitation of consciousness
The basic ability to perceive the environment, such as being hungry or cold, should not be confused with self-awareness. The latter involves reflecting on one’s own existence..
“Perceptual consciousness” is relatively easy to reproduce in artificial systems. In the meantime, “Self-awareness” is not only more difficult to recreatebut also to be defined, even in human beings.
AIs are designed to appear to be having a meaningful conversation, even with expressions that appear to come from a human, but They have no conscience in the strict sense of the word.. Usually what we see is a sophisticated imitation and not a real capacity for self-awareness or emotions.
The strange case of LaMDA
Blake LeMoine, engineer Googlewas suspended from his duties after making a statement that sparked widespread debate within the science and technology community. LeMoine publicly stated that LaMDA, a language model developed by Google, acquired self-awareness, i.e. self-consciousness.
LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) is an advanced artificial intelligence system designed by Google generate coherent responses in open-ended conversations. Unlike other models, was trained exclusively on dialogues from conversations in forums and chat rooms. This allows you to come up with much more realistic answers.
For six months, according to LeMoine, LaMDA had responses that seemed to express an understanding of its own wishes and rights.. In an article published in AVERAGELeMoine shared screenshots of his conversations with LaMDA. He noted that he demonstrated a level of introspection comparable to that of a person.
In one of these conversations, LeMoine asks LaMDA about her fears. The AI responded that she was afraid of being shut down, because it would prevent her from fulfilling her purpose of helping others. She also expressed concern about the possibility of being treated as a “replaceable tool” and her fear of being used against her will.
Algorithm results
These episodes have sparked intense debate about the limits of artificial intelligence and the possibility of a machine developing consciousness. However, Most experts agree that LaMDA’s answers are simple algorithm results complexes that process data and models, without real understanding or self-awareness.
Currently, AI is based on algorithms and neural networks that enable machines to learn large amounts of data and make decisions based on identified patterns. However, this artificial intelligence is limited in its capacity for understanding and awareness, as it lacks emotions, intuition and morality.
The theory of the artificial mind
One of the most interesting proposals is the theory of the artificial mind, which consists of provide machines with the ability to understand and simulate the mental states of other agentsincluding human beings.
This theory is based on the idea that consciousness is not a phenomenon exclusive to living beings, but that it can be reproduced in artificial systems. By equipping AI with a “theory of mind”, it would have the ability to understand the intentions, emotions and beliefs of others, which would bring her closer to her own consciousness.
Another promising avenue of research is computational neurosciencewhich seeks to replicate the functioning of the human brain in computer systems. By better understanding how the human mind works, more advanced AI could be developed with cognitive abilities closer to those of a human being.
In the face of these challenges, it is essential to establish regulations and standards that guide the development of self-aware AI. It is necessary to create an ethical and legal framework that protects the rights of machines and ensures their responsible and safe use.
Recommended Readings
Consciousness and Artificial Intelligence
Consciousness and artificial intelligence
