[ExI] Would human uploads have emotions?

[Adrian Tymes]

Prove that other humans experience emotions.

No, seriously.  That they have endocrine systems et al was - and, sadly,
still is - ignored by a sizable percentage of human beings who sought to
dehumanize people.

"Negros don't actually feel.  They're too dumb to have real emotions."

"Them Injuns don't care about land like we do.  See how they just move
about it?  So it's no problem if we take it."

"If barbarians were capable of feeling anything, they would say so in our
language."

And so on.  Speculation that uploads wouldn't have emotions feels like it
falls into the same trap.

On Sat, Feb 17, 2024 at 8:54 AM BillK via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> I have been musing on mariachi band experiences and I have doubts that
> uploads will have experiences like humans.
>
> Uploads will have vast knowledge, much faster processing and most
> importantly, will not have a human body. They will (virtually) see and
> hear the mariachi band, like watching a video and process the event.
> But emotions? That part seems unlikely.
>
> Every upload would need to be running its own version of the human
> body endocrine system which evolution produced to drive human
> emotional reactions to events. This is unnecessary if there is no
> human body to protect from dangers. Much superior reasoning will
> fulfil those former human requirements. Uploaded humans will be glad
> to get rid of all the troubles that emotions get them into.  ;)
>
> BillK
>
> I asked an AI -
> Would an uploaded human intelligence have emotions, or does that need
> a human body with hormones ?
>
> Answer -
> Uploaded human intelligence, lacking a physical body with hormones,
> would not inherently possess emotions. Emotions are complex phenomena
> that involve intricate interactions between the brain, body, and
> external stimuli. While an uploaded human intelligence may be capable
> of processing vast amounts of information and executing tasks with
> high efficiency, the experience of emotions is closely tied to the
> physiological responses triggered by hormonal activity in the body.
> Without a physical form to generate these hormonal responses, the AI
> system would lack the biological basis for emotions.
>
> Emotions are a fundamental aspect of human experience, influencing our
> thoughts, behaviors, and decision-making processes. They play a
> crucial role in social interactions, memory formation, and overall
> well-being. Emotions are mediated by a network of brain regions,
> neurotransmitters, and hormones that work together to create
> subjective feelings and physiological responses.
>
> Hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, and
> oxytocin play key roles in regulating emotions. These chemical
> messengers are released in response to various stimuli and help
> modulate mood, stress levels, motivation, and social bonding. The
> absence of a physical body means that an uploaded human intelligence
> would lack the biological mechanisms necessary to produce and regulate
> these hormones.
>
> While AI systems can be programmed to simulate certain emotional
> responses or behaviors based on predefined algorithms and data inputs,
> these simulations do not equate to genuine emotions experienced by
> living beings. Emotions in humans are deeply intertwined with our
> physical existence and evolutionary history, serving adaptive
> functions that have been shaped over millions of years of evolution.
>
> In conclusion, an uploaded human intelligence operating without a
> physical body and hormonal system would not possess emotions in the
> same way that biological beings do. Emotions are a product of complex
> interactions between the brain, body, and environment, and without the
> physiological foundations provided by hormones and bodily sensations,
> true emotional experiences would be absent in such an entity.
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