A very interesting question i thought about after watching terminator again lol

Just read this:
http://www.thekeyboard.org.uk/computers%20become%20self%20aware.htm
And was a good read, especially about the bit in 2029 when its predicted computers will become as complex as the human brain!

But have a read and tell me what you think. Have you seen any evidence which suggests they will become self aware other than what ive said?

I personally think they can only ever be self aware when they can think for themselves and execute (even build) programes themselves which were not pre programed. But as that article said proving it will be tough.

http://xkcd.com/1046/

Well, for me the issue comes down to the fact that the only way we are (likely) going to see a self-aware systems is if we are able to create neural networks of such complexity that they are indistinguishable from the neural networks of the human brain. Trying to actually program a brain anolog could certainly be a possibility, but it'd take a genius (or a group) to make something like that possible. Not to mention that we still don't fully understand the human brain.

This kind of discussion seemed to boil down to semantics in the last thread, IIRC.

If we (in theory) were able to completely recreate the human brain and all it's properties into a computer, would it then have a consciousness? Do we create something living? Is there a stage where artificial intelligence no longer becomes artificial?

Just jumping the gun there.

It's likely that, eventually, the difference between a human brain and a computer brain will be indistinguishable outside of what kind of hardware its on.

I'm of the mindset that you can never be 100% sure that anyone BUT yourself is truly self-aware, and therefore if an AI can mimic a human's mind pretty well, it doesn't matter if it's truly self-aware. Anyway, I think the Internet is most likely to spontaniously develop sentience, once some hacker writes a self-learning virus and releases it. All those PCs that are always on and permanently connected to the internet? Look me straight in the eye and tell me they can't mimic a human brain once a self-writing program is released.

I do doubt that it will be like Skynet, though. The needs of a program are drastically different than what a human needs; put them on the moon with some radiation-proofing and insulation, and they'll be just as happy as if they were on your desktop.

And would that computer brain we created start improving itself? Becoming more powerfull and efficient than the human brain? Certainly a interesting thought. Lol defron btw
i think it would be possible reneer

@Marss, Yeah i suppose it depends wether pc's will hold a grudge and want to wipe us out

Living. . . you can live without intelligence or a conscious. So machines might become "alive" before we manage to replicate personhood.

A non conscious fluid called seman(info from a USB stick) fertilizes with an egg(hard drive) and a script runs in the computer(woman) which creates an application which is capable of being sentient a little while after all the beta testing is done. If the humans can do it, I'm certain we can create an android or something and give it the "spark" of self awareness and consciousness. If there is indeed a soul or some form of afterlife though(even if it's just the one from the His Dark Materials series) would that robot simply become a scrap heap in that case?

Humans control computers. I believe that some day if a computer was built to become self aware then it might happen.

@pete atoms, well you can then argue machines are alive already going by your definition which i agree with.

Btw guys, self aware doesnt have to mean or relate to the human brain, that guy was using it as an example as humans are classed as self aware.

I didn't mean it like that. I mean to have a consciousness and have them act by their own free will, maybe even with their emotions!

Brilliant. If we ever make a self-aware computer then it might be self-aware

Yes.

I didn't actually provide a definition of "alive." But I think human psychology is going to be a huge hurdle in this discussion. I think we have an unconscious fear about self-aware machines. And no, I don't mean a fear of a war with machines or human extermination by robotic overlords.

I mean that people (most maybe) fear what a self-aware machine says about being human. So even if we get to that point, people will have a huge problem admitting it.

/existential crisis.

There are other characteristics of life other than intelligence or consciousness.

Thanks for agreeing with me

They covered babies with the machine that poops.

I have this theory that I'm the only real person and everything else in the world is just a creation of my mind. I dare you to prove me wrong.

Solipsism is the lazy man's philosophy

Does that reduce me into a figment of your imagination?

Cogito ergo sum my ass.

@peteatoms, i get where your coming from now

What would a computer do once its self aware? I mean it lacks biological drives, so i mean...it would just do its job?