[ExI] Digital Consciousness .

[Anders Sandberg]

On 24/04/2013 19:07, spike wrote:
> I agree humans are not akin to digital computers. What I am asking is 
> if we can take a buttload of digital computers, connect them all 
> together, each running models of brain cells, and create something 
> that is kinda sorta akin to a human brain? If not, how about some 
> simpler but still conscious brain perhaps? Or if not conscious, at 
> least reactive to its surroundings?

The problem is that a model is not the same thing as the system being 
modeled. (Let's leave aside that the simulation may not simulate 
everything going on in the system; say we actually have all the elements 
and causal links correctly represented.)

A simulated hurricane does not make you wet as you sit in front of the 
computer - simulated people in the simulation might indeed get 
simulatedly wet, but the wetness does not carry between the levels. The 
big question is whether there are some things that do exist 
independently of level.

When your calculator performs a calculation, one can argue that there is 
an isomorphism between its result and a "real" calculation that is 
level-independent. Similarly I think intelligence is level-independent: 
it does not matter how intelligent behavior or answers are produced, 
they are still intelligent even if they happen inside a simulation. If 
you can simulate something level-independent you can get it for "real". 
But there is no agreement on consciousness: it is not obvious that it 
can even be level-independent, since it is private.

Personally, being a functionalist, I think consciousness is just 
information processing and is level-independent. But this is just 
metaphysical guesswork. However, since philosophical zombies seem to be 
incoherent (why would would zombie philosophers on zombie Earth go to 
consciousness conferences rather than conferences on some other 
arbitrary non-existent property?) consciousness must have some causal 
power, so if you can successfully emulate a human brain and get it to 
discuss its consciousness, I think you likely have evidence that 
consciousness is level-independent. This is one reason I think brain 
emulation will be useful: it will clean out plenty of theories in 
philosophy of mind one way or another.

-- 
Anders Sandberg,
Future of Humanity Institute
Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University