[ExI] another open letter, but this one may be smarter than the previous one

Sat Apr 29 15:51:51 UTC 2023

On Sat, Apr 29, 2023 at 9:14 AM Will Steinberg via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> Yeah, I kind of doubt we will make any meaningful progress on either of
> those descriptions of consciousness before AGI exists.  (And I *like* woo
> shit) Phenomena are completely inscrutable within the modern physics
> framework, and even for the "entity that can model itself" form, what does
> it even mean for a computer program to model itself like humans model
> ourselves?  It has no place, no body.
>

Despite not having a body, the LLP sees text that comes in from the
outside, and text that comes out from the inside. If you ask it "where does
the text come from that didn't come from the outside?", it must look inward
and at itself to provide an answer. I don't know that it can do this yet,
or not, but the principles exist for it to build a conception or model of
itself, despite not having a body.

>   We don't even understand what is inside these LLMs in the first place...
>

Yes, this is my main reason to be cautious, and tread carefully assuming
the potential implications if either possibility is true.

>
> What a terrifying time to be alive.  I don't see a plausible scenario
> where this all doesn't lead to unbelievable amounts of suffering (of both
> biological and machine consciousness.)
>

Yes, if we aren't careful and if we don't treat these early systems with
respect, something like this nightmare scenario could easily happen:
https://qntm.org/mmacevedo

Jason

>
> On Thu, Apr 27, 2023, 6:18 PM Darin Sunley via extropy-chat <
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
>> The capitalization of "Psychology" is a little weird.  Ditto the use of
>> the idiom "achieving consciousness", "mystery of consciousness", et. It's a
>> little woo, frankly.
>>
>> I'm not seeing an actual policy recommendation here. Calling "on the tech
>> sector, the scientific community and society as a whole to take seriously
>> the need to accelerate research in consciousness" seems like it's a demand
>> for a seat at the table by a group that may be being denied a seat at the
>> table for pretty good reasons at the moment.
>>
>> Setting aside for the moment what they actually /mean/ by consciousness
>> [I'm pretty sure it's Dennet-style formal systems capable of introspection
>> over a model of their environment that includes themselves, rather than
>> anything involving phenomenal conscious experience], they don't seem to
>> offer a recommendation for whether LLMs specifically, or artificial
>> intelligences in general, should be conscious, in whatever sense they mean.
>> [It's worth noting that the consciousness of AGIs, in any sense, is
>> entirely irrelevant to their status as a potential existential threat.
>> Contra popular culture, unaligned agentic tool AIs can destroy the world
>> just as easily as unaligned agentic conscious minds.]
>>
>> One of the articles they reference is indeed very interesting. The degree
>> to which LLMs may be able to form even a primitive theory of minds based on
>> training text that was generated by systems (people) with a clear embedded
>> theory of mind is interesting, and may even be alarming if possession of a
>> theory of mind is one of your primary bright line criterion of a definition
>> of consciousness and therefore moral valence. [I personally disagree that
>> having a theory of mind is a sufficient bright-line criteria for moral
>> valence, but reasonable people can disagree about this.]
>>
>> I've long held that AGI, as it develops, will allow, to at least some
>> degree, questions about the nature of consciousness to become amenable to
>> actual scientific research and investigation. Calling for practitioners of
>> "Consciousness Science" to be acknowledged as leaders in the AGI research
>> programme is somewhat premature. I would argue that it is the emergence of
>> LLMs that will allow the field of consciousness research [at least within
>> the limits of Dennet's paradigm] to actually /become/ a field of science
>> and engineering, rather than of philosophy.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 27, 2023 at 3:50 PM Adrian Tymes via extropy-chat <
>> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>>
>>> And what if someone uses something like Gödel's incompleteness theorems
>>> to prove that what they're looking for is impossible, or at least no more
>>> possible than it is for human intelligences?
>>>
>>> Indeed, do those theorems apply to AIs, to show that no computer program
>>> (at least, one that is expressed in the same low level language - high
>>> level language irrelevant since they get compiled to the same low level
>>> language - as the same sort of computer the AIs themselves run on, so it
>>> can run on the same sort of computer) can ever formally prove all the
>>> qualities and consequences of these AIs?
>>>
>>> On Thu, Apr 27, 2023, 1:36 PM spike jones via extropy-chat <
>>> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> But it is hard to say, and I am not an expert on the topic:
>>>>
>>>> https://amcs-community.org/open-letters/
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Here's the letter, in case the link doesn't work:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The Responsible Development of AI Agenda Needs to Include Consciousness
>>>> Research
>>>> Open Letter – PUBLISHED April 26, 2023 –
>>>>
>>>> This open letter is a wakeup call for the tech sector, the scientific
>>>> community and society in general to take seriously the need to
>>>> accelerate
>>>> research in the field of consciousness science.
>>>>
>>>> As highlighted by the recent “Pause Giant AI Experiments” letter [1],
>>>> we are
>>>> living through an exciting and uncertain time in the development of
>>>> artificial intelligence (AI) and other brain-related technologies. The
>>>> increasing computing power and capabilities of the new AI systems are
>>>> accelerating at a pace that far exceeds our progress in understanding
>>>> their
>>>> capabilities and their “alignment” with human values.
>>>>
>>>> AI systems, including Large Language Models such as ChatGPT and Bard,
>>>> are
>>>> artificial neural networks inspired by neuronal architecture in the
>>>> cortex
>>>> of animal brains. In the near future, it is inevitable that such systems
>>>> will be constructed to reproduce aspects of higher-level brain
>>>> architecture
>>>> and functioning. Indeed, it is no longer in the realm of science
>>>> fiction to
>>>> imagine AI systems having feelings and even human-level consciousness.
>>>> Contemporary AI systems already display human traits recognised in
>>>> Psychology, including evidence of Theory of Mind [2].
>>>>
>>>> Furthermore, if achieving consciousness, AI systems would likely unveil
>>>> a
>>>> new array of capabilities that go far beyond what is expected even by
>>>> those
>>>> spearheading their development. AI systems have already been observed to
>>>> exhibit unanticipated emergent properties [3]. These capabilities will
>>>> change what AI can do, and what society can do to control, align and use
>>>> such systems. In addition, consciousness would give AI a place in our
>>>> moral
>>>> landscape, which raises further ethical, legal, and political concerns.
>>>>
>>>> As AI develops, it is vital for the wider public, societal institutions
>>>> and
>>>> governing bodies to know whether and how AI systems can become
>>>> conscious, to
>>>> understand the implications thereof, and to effectively address the
>>>> ethical,
>>>> safety, and societal ramifications associated with artificial general
>>>> intelligence (AGI).
>>>>
>>>> Science is starting to unlock the mystery of consciousness. Steady
>>>> advances
>>>> in recent years have brought us closer to defining and understanding
>>>> consciousness and have established an expert international community of
>>>> researchers in this field. There are over 30 models and theories of
>>>> consciousness (MoCs and ToCs) in the peer-reviewed scientific
>>>> literature,
>>>> which already include some important pieces of the solution to the
>>>> challenge
>>>> of consciousness.
>>>>
>>>> To understand whether AI systems are, or can become, conscious, tools
>>>> are
>>>> needed that can be applied to artificial systems. In particular, science
>>>> needs to further develop formal and mathematical tools to model
>>>> consciousness and its relationship to physical systems. In conjunction
>>>> with
>>>> empirical and experimental methods to measure consciousness, questions
>>>> of AI
>>>> consciousness must be tackled.
>>>>
>>>> The Association for Mathematical Consciousness Science (AMCS) [4], is a
>>>> large community of over 150 international researchers who are
>>>> spearheading
>>>> mathematical and computational approaches to consciousness. The
>>>> Association
>>>> for the Scientific Study of Consciousness (ASSC), [5], comprises
>>>> researchers
>>>> from neuroscience, philosophy and similar areas that study the nature,
>>>> function, and underlying mechanisms of consciousness. Considerable
>>>> research
>>>> is required if consciousness science is to align with advancements in
>>>> AI and
>>>> other brain-related technologies. With sufficient support, the
>>>> international
>>>> scientific communities are prepared to undertake this task.
>>>>
>>>> The way ahead
>>>> Artificial intelligence may be one of humanity’s greatest achievements.
>>>> As
>>>> with any significant achievement, society must make choices on how to
>>>> approach its implications. Without taking a position on whether AI
>>>> development should be paused, we emphasise that the rapid development
>>>> of AI
>>>> is exposing the urgent need to accelerate research in the field of
>>>> consciousness science.
>>>>
>>>> Research in consciousness is a key component in helping humanity to
>>>> understand AI and its ramifications. It is essential for managing
>>>> ethical
>>>> and societal implications of AI and to ensure AI safety. We call on the
>>>> tech
>>>> sector, the scientific community and society as a whole to take
>>>> seriously
>>>> the need to accelerate research in consciousness in order to ensure
>>>> that AI
>>>> development delivers positive outcomes for humanity. AI research should
>>>> not
>>>> be left to wander alone.
>>>>
>>>> References:
>>>> [1] Pause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letter:
>>>> https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments
>>>> [2] Theory of Mind May Have Spontaneously Emerged in Large Language
>>>> Models:
>>>> https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.02083
>>>> [3] The AI revolution: Google’s developers on the future of artificial
>>>> intelligence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=880TBXMuzmk
>>>> [4] Association for Mathematical Consciousness Science (AMCS):
>>>> https://amcs-community.org/
>>>> [5] Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness (ASSC):
>>>> https://theassc.org/
>>>>
>>>> Sign the open letter.
>>>> Supporting Signatories:
>>>>
>>>> Prof. Lenore Blum (AMCS President; Carnegie Mellon University and UC
>>>> Berkeley)
>>>> Dr Johannes Kleiner (AMCS Board Chair; Ludwig Maximilian University of
>>>> Munich)
>>>> Dr Jonathan Mason (AMCS Board Vice Chair; University of Oxford)
>>>> Dr Robin Lorenz (AMCS Board Treasurer; Quantinuum)
>>>> Prof. Manuel Blum (Turing Award 1995; UC Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon
>>>> University)
>>>> Prof. Yoshua Bengio FRS, FRSC, Knight of the Legion of Honour [France]
>>>> (Turing Award 2018; Full professor, Scientific director of Mila,
>>>> University
>>>> of Montreal / Mila)
>>>> Prof. Marcus du Sautoy FRS, OBE (University of Oxford)
>>>> Prof. Karl Friston FRS, FRBS, FMedSci, MAE (Weldon Memorial Prize and
>>>> Medal,
>>>> 2013; Donald O Hebb award, 2022; Prof of Neuroscience, University
>>>> College
>>>> London)
>>>> Prof. Anil K. Seth (University of Sussex, Canadian Institute for
>>>> Advanced
>>>> Research, Program on Brain, Mind, and Consciousness)
>>>> Prof. Peter Grindrod OBE (University Of Oxford)
>>>> Prof. Tim Palmer FRS CBE (University of Oxford)
>>>> Prof. Susan Schneider APA (NASA Chair, NASA; Distinguished Scholar,
>>>> Library
>>>> of Congress; Director of the Center for the Future Mind, Florida
>>>> Atlantic
>>>> University)
>>>> Prof. Claire Sergent (Professor of Cognitive Neurosciences, Co-director
>>>> of
>>>> the Master of Cognitive Neurosciences of Paris; Université Paris Cité /
>>>> CNRS)
>>>> Dr Ryota Kanai (Founder & CEO of Araya, Inc.)
>>>> Prof. Kobi Kremnitzer (University of Oxford)
>>>> Prof. Paul Azzopardi (University of Oxford)
>>>> Prof. Michael Graziano (Princeton University)
>>>> Prof. Naotsugu Tsuchiya (Monash University)
>>>> Prof. Shimon Edelman (Cornell University)
>>>> Prof. Andrée Ehresmann (Université de Picardie Jules Verne Amiens)
>>>> Prof. Liad Mudrik (Tel Aviv University, Canadian Institute for Advanced
>>>> Research, Program on Brain, Mind, and Consciousness)
>>>> Dr Lucia Melloni (Max Planck Institute/NYU Langone Health)
>>>> Prof. Stephen Fleming (University College London)
>>>> Prof. Bob Coecke (DVRS at Perimeter Institute; Quantinuum)
>>>> Jeff Walz (Tech sector Consultant)
>>>> Dr Wanja Wiese (Ruhr University Bochum)
>>>> Dr Joscha Bach (Research Scientist, Thistledown Foundation)
>>>> Prof. Ian Durham (Saint Anselm College)
>>>> Prof. Pedro Resende (IST – University Lisbon)
>>>> Dr Quanlong Wang (Quantinuum)
>>>> Peter Thestrup Waade (Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University;
>>>> Wellcome
>>>> Trust Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London)
>>>> Prof. Jose Acacio de Barros (San Francisco State University)
>>>> Dr Vasileios Basios (University of Brussels)
>>>> Dr Miguel Sanchez-Valpuesta (Korea Brain Research Institute)
>>>> Dr Michael Coughlan (Wageningen University)
>>>> Dr Adam Barrett (University of Sussex)
>>>> Prof. Marc Ebner (Computer Science Professor, University of Greifswald)
>>>> Dr Chris Fields (Tufts University)
>>>> Dr Guillaume Dumas (Associate Professor, University of Montreal / Mila)
>>>> Dr Hamid Azizi (Research Scholar, Center for Theology and the Natural
>>>> Sciences (CTNS))
>>>> Prof. Ricardo Sanz IEEE, AAAI, ASSC (Head of Autonomous Systems
>>>> Laboratory,
>>>> Universidad Politecnica de Madrid)
>>>> Dr Robert Prentner (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich)
>>>> Prof. Johannes Fahrenfort ASSC (Assistant Professor, VU Amsterdam)
>>>> Dr Svetlana Rudenko (Researcher and composer; Haunted Planet Studios,
>>>> Trinity College Dublin)
>>>> Prof. Óscar Gonçalves (Full Professor of Neuropsychology, University of
>>>> Coimbra, Portugal)
>>>> Prof. John Barnden SSAISB (Professor Emeritus of AI, University of
>>>> Birmingham, UK)
>>>> Prof. Valtteri Arstila (University of Turku)
>>>> Dr Neda Kosibaty (AMCS)
>>>> Dr Daniel Helman (College of Micronesia-FSM)
>>>> Justin T. Sampson (VMware, Inc.)
>>>> Christopher Rourk (Jackson Walker LLP)
>>>> Dr Mouhacine B. Benosman (MERL)
>>>> Prof. Ouri Wolfson (University of Illinois at chicago and Pirouette
>>>> Software
>>>> inc.)
>>>> Dr Rupert Macey-Dare (St Cross College Oxford)
>>>> David Evans (Sonoma State University)
>>>> Rajarshi Ghoshal (Ford)
>>>> Prof. Peter B. Reiner (University of British Columbia)
>>>> Dr Adeel Razi (Monash University)
>>>> Prof. Jun Tani (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology)
>>>> David Rein (New York University, Cohere)
>>>> Dr Colin Hales (University of Melbourne)
>>>> John Balis (University of Wisconsin – Madison)
>>>> George Blackburne (University College London)
>>>> Jacy Reese Anthis (Sentience Institute)
>>>> Dr George Deane (University of Montreal)
>>>> Dr Nathan Faivre (CNRS)
>>>> Dr Giulio Ruffini (Neuroelectrics, Starlab)
>>>> Borjan Milinkovic (Unniversity of Melbourne)
>>>> Dr Jacobo Sitt (Inserm, Paris Brain Institute)
>>>> Dr Aureli Soria-Frisch (Starlab Barcelona)
>>>> Dr Bjørn Erik Juel (University of Oslo and university of Wisconsin –
>>>> Madison)
>>>> Craig Cockburn (Siliconglen Ltd)
>>>> Dr Theofanis Panagiotaropoulos (Inserm/CEA)
>>>> Andrea Sittoni (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich)
>>>> Dr Lancelot Pecquet (University of Poitiers)
>>>> Carlos Perez (Intuition Machine Inc.)
>>>> Dr Xerxes Arsiwalla (Pompeu Fabra University)
>>>> Emeritus Dr Jim Rutt (Santa Fe Institute)
>>>> Dr Sean Tull (Quantinuum)
>>>> Prof Chris Frith (Craik Prize. 1996; University of London)
>>>> Dr Henry Shevlin (Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence,
>>>> University of Cambridge)
>>>> Dr Jolien C. Francken (Radboud University, Nijmegen)
>>>> Prof. Sebastiano Stramaglia (University of Bari)
>>>> Milton Ponson (Caribbean Applied Engineering and Science Research
>>>> Foundation)
>>>> Juan Cordovilla (Exactos Consulting Group)
>>>> Eduardo César Garrido Merchán (Universidad Pontificia Comias)
>>>> Benedict Harrision (Who Am I Ltd)
>>>> Nicolas Grootjans (BlueField)
>>>> Jared Frerichs (Deus Mechanicus)
>>>> Dr Nadine Dijkstra (University College London)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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