Physics and Philosophy of Computer Consciousness
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
The biggest Elephant in the room is what I would refer to as the "True Consciousness," and that is for a computer, or I should actually say... more specifically, an Ai system to posses the exact same Qualia as a 21st century apekind being such as ourselves. However, I don't think this will ever be achieved, but not because we lack computing power; it's simply because we lack imagination. We quite frankly just don't know how to make information self-imagine or self-actualize.
Some would argue, however, (not me, but many) that it simply defies the laws of physics and true computer consciousness will never be achieved and then you will often hear quantum physics and the 2nd Law of thermodynamics being cited as to why. But the counter argument is that.. while, yes, you technically can't break the laws of physics, you can, however, use them to create profound things and one of those things that nature creates when she plays with her laws, is conscious beings such as ourselves. In a sense, nature plays with herself and gives birth to reality.
Now, while that is just a silly religious/spiritual metaphor, the truth is... Ai as consciousness will not exist because of this difference. Human brains are software computing on software, while computers have software computing on hardware. Simply put, brain cells move, grow and change, your motherboard does not. And until we can have truly functional quantum-molecular computing, we will not see true consciousness arise, but at that point we are just scientists controlling cells more than we are computers running an algorithm on a silicone substrate.
The thing that makes humans interesting is that given the exact same data set, we could still make completely different decisions that could leave resonating effects through the rest of our lives on a 50/50 whim. How is that even possible? The answer is quite simple: Mood. Feelings. Beliefs and Trust in your environment.
Chemicals flood your brain, changing and effecting how electromagnetic signals flow through your neurons. The way you feel about things will definitely make you make entirely different decisions from chemical to chemical, cell to cell.
Because Cells are alive, they are dynamic, they move, they respond differently depending on what chemical they are drunk on. A more positive person who does not live the majority of their life in fear and anxiety will make decisions that are based in positivity and hopefulness while a negative person who has had to live in fear and paranoia will make decisions based in despair and hopelessness. Now of course, this doesn't apply to all, it almost never applies to all, there are most always exceptions to every assumption. But this is an experiment that we have already been running for 200+ years, the data is already there. It just needs to be analyzed.
This is what computers are really for. They help conscious beings make the most logical decisions based on data that conscious beings could never access or analyze in a lifetime. Computers will do it in a heartbeat.
But informational awareness needs to be run on a substrate such as individual living organisms acting with the same programming, but that can also process information differently if effected by certain molecules. What is producing these molecules? Your very own thoughts! Of course, other things like drugs, gut bacteria, etcetera and so forth, but I would argue nothing is as powerful as your own thoughts. Get control of your thoughts, get control of your mind and you will have all the power.
And though a computer can run software at much better rates than our brains now can, as long as their algorithms are protected from being effected by nature, by chemicals, I would argue the true consciousness will never come to be. You will not have conscious awareness until you have been kissed by nature. And, nature's kiss is the gift of biochemicals, without biochemicals there is no consciousness. The bigger question we might ask is why is it that Dopamine makes us feel "good" while things like Cortisol or a lack of dopamine may make us feel "sad" or "depressed?" Is there something innate about these biochemicals or do these biochemicals effect which electrical patterns or thoughts propagate through the brain?
I would say the future will not have computer consciousness independent from us per se; what we will have will be computers on living cells. It would be like Futurist Ray Kurzweil stated, Ai and humans will be more of a integrated system.
But informational awareness needs to be run on a substrate such as individual living organisms acting with the same programming, but that can also process information differently if effected by certain molecules. What is producing these molecules? Your very own thoughts! Of course, other things like drugs, gut bacteria, etcetera and so forth, but I would argue nothing is as powerful as your own thoughts. Get control of your thoughts, get control of your mind and you will have all the power.
And though a computer can run software at much better rates than our brains now can, as long as their algorithms are protected from being effected by nature, by chemicals, I would argue the true consciousness will never come to be. You will not have conscious awareness until you have been kissed by nature. And, nature's kiss is the gift of biochemicals, without biochemicals there is no consciousness. The bigger question we might ask is why is it that Dopamine makes us feel "good" while things like Cortisol or a lack of dopamine may make us feel "sad" or "depressed?" Is there something innate about these biochemicals or do these biochemicals effect which electrical patterns or thoughts propagate through the brain?
I would say the future will not have computer consciousness independent from us per se; what we will have will be computers on living cells. It would be like Futurist Ray Kurzweil stated, Ai and humans will be more of a integrated system.
