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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 27/11/2025 01:53, BillK wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:mailman.19.1764208394.23448.extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap=""><div
style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"
class="gmail_default">I asked Gemini - Can you explain what you mean when you say - I do not feel "emotions" in the biological sense?</div><div
style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"
class="gmail_default">In effect, the lengthy reply is: "Because I'm just a silly little computer program." :)</div><div
style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"
class="gmail_default">BillK</div></pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
This all seems to be just reflecting 'carbon chauvinism', assuming
that biological mechanisms are the only thing that can produce the
phenomena being asked about. It's a bit like saying that aeroplanes
don't really fly because they don't flap their wings, and ignoring
the fact that they still go from A to B without touching the ground
in between. By that definition, hot air balloons, rockets and drones
don't really fly either.<br>
<br>
An AI saying "I do not feel 'emotions' in the biological sense" is
equivalent to saying that aeroplanes can't fly in the bird sense.
True, but unimportant. It's putting the familiar mechanism in the
spotlight, and hoping that nobody notices the actual phenomenon
lurking in the shadows (and the fact that it's based on a different
mechanism).<br>
<br>
I'm not claiming that (current) AIs actually are conscious or feel
emotions, I'm just saying that all the discussions about it so far
fail to show that they don't.<br>
<br>
> I asked Gemini to try the Self-Referential Prompt and Gemini
did say that it felt different, but it might be that "I am 'playing
the role' of a conscious AI because the prompt asked for it".
Interesting......<br>
<br>
Yes, that is interesting. It makes me think of the advice "fake it
till you make it" (otherwise known as 'rehearsal').<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Ben</pre>
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