> -----Original Message----- > From: Matt Mahoney via AGI <agi@agi.topicbox.com> > > I don't believe that my thermostat is conscious. Or let me taboo words like > "believe" and 'conscious". I assign a low probability to the possibility that > my > thermostat has a homunculus or an immortal soul or a little person inside it > that feels hot or cold. I assign a low probability that human brains have > these > either. When we look inside, all we see are neurons.
The thermostat in a tiny binary way I would say is conscious. And I speculate has a tiny bit of free will. It's hard to imagine but there are situations where the thermostat would choose to save itself verses getting destroyed. How? Causal feedback into its own negentropic complexity. It has a slight preference to exist. This probably could be calculated... Note: I'm more thinking about thermostats that control heat and cold, furnace and AC. Not sure about AC-only thermostats in warm areas 😊 > > Your argument that I am conscious is to poke me in the eye and ask whether I > felt pain or just neural signals. My reaction to pain must either be real or > it > must be involuntary and I lack the free will to ignore it. Well guess what. > Free > will is an illusion too. If you don't believe me, then define it. Something > you > can apply as a test to humans, thermostats, dogs, AI, etc. I'll wait... > Part of free will is choosing to be responsible for your actions. Meaning? Our actions are a discourse with the environment and other agents (aka. people, animals, etc..) In conscious existence there are choices since we believe other agents might be similarly conscious like ourselves even though they could be zombies we err on the positive side. For example my neighbor might actually feel pain so I don't maim him and take all his consciousness enhancing feel-good things including food, money, women, drugs 😊 I don't know if this answers your questions but perhaps is in the direction of... John ------------------------------------------ Artificial General Intelligence List: AGI Permalink: https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi/T9c94dabb0436859d-M5b01791eb09db6d6f48e54f7 Delivery options: https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi/subscription
