Can Computers Become Conscious, an Essential Condition for the Singularity?
Given that consciousness is an essential ingredient for achieving Singularity, the notion that an Artificial General Intelligence device can exceed the intelligence of a human, namely, the question of whether a computer can achieve consciousness, is explored. Given that consciousness is being aware...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2017-12-01
|
| Series: | Information |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/8/4/161 |
| _version_ | 1818030104621613056 |
|---|---|
| author | Robert K. Logan |
| author_facet | Robert K. Logan |
| author_sort | Robert K. Logan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Given that consciousness is an essential ingredient for achieving Singularity, the notion that an Artificial General Intelligence device can exceed the intelligence of a human, namely, the question of whether a computer can achieve consciousness, is explored. Given that consciousness is being aware of one’s perceptions and/or of one’s thoughts, it is claimed that computers cannot experience consciousness. Given that it has no sensorium, it cannot have perceptions. In terms of being aware of its thoughts it is argued that being aware of one’s thoughts is basically listening to one’s own internal speech. A computer has no emotions, and hence, no desire to communicate, and without the ability, and/or desire to communicate, it has no internal voice to listen to and hence cannot be aware of its thoughts. In fact, it has no thoughts, because it has no sense of self and thinking is about preserving one’s self. Emotions have a positive effect on the reasoning powers of humans, and therefore, the computer’s lack of emotions is another reason for why computers could never achieve the level of intelligence that a human can, at least, at the current level of the development of computer technology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T05:30:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b684912a4dab420f81c28afdecb5af4b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2078-2489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T05:30:17Z |
| publishDate | 2017-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Information |
| spelling | doaj.art-b684912a4dab420f81c28afdecb5af4b2022-12-22T02:00:34ZengMDPI AGInformation2078-24892017-12-018416110.3390/info8040161info8040161Can Computers Become Conscious, an Essential Condition for the Singularity?Robert K. Logan0Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 St. George, Toronto, ON M5S 1A7, CanadaGiven that consciousness is an essential ingredient for achieving Singularity, the notion that an Artificial General Intelligence device can exceed the intelligence of a human, namely, the question of whether a computer can achieve consciousness, is explored. Given that consciousness is being aware of one’s perceptions and/or of one’s thoughts, it is claimed that computers cannot experience consciousness. Given that it has no sensorium, it cannot have perceptions. In terms of being aware of its thoughts it is argued that being aware of one’s thoughts is basically listening to one’s own internal speech. A computer has no emotions, and hence, no desire to communicate, and without the ability, and/or desire to communicate, it has no internal voice to listen to and hence cannot be aware of its thoughts. In fact, it has no thoughts, because it has no sense of self and thinking is about preserving one’s self. Emotions have a positive effect on the reasoning powers of humans, and therefore, the computer’s lack of emotions is another reason for why computers could never achieve the level of intelligence that a human can, at least, at the current level of the development of computer technology.https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/8/4/161computersconsciousnesssingularityartificial general intelligenceintelligenceemotionself |
| spellingShingle | Robert K. Logan Can Computers Become Conscious, an Essential Condition for the Singularity? Information computers consciousness singularity artificial general intelligence intelligence emotion self |
| title | Can Computers Become Conscious, an Essential Condition for the Singularity? |
| title_full | Can Computers Become Conscious, an Essential Condition for the Singularity? |
| title_fullStr | Can Computers Become Conscious, an Essential Condition for the Singularity? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can Computers Become Conscious, an Essential Condition for the Singularity? |
| title_short | Can Computers Become Conscious, an Essential Condition for the Singularity? |
| title_sort | can computers become conscious an essential condition for the singularity |
| topic | computers consciousness singularity artificial general intelligence intelligence emotion self |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/8/4/161 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertklogan cancomputersbecomeconsciousanessentialconditionforthesingularity |