From: Matt Mahoney (matmahoney@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Nov 25 2009 - 20:47:10 MST
Matt Paul wrote:
> I don't think that replacing my brain with a cpu would necessarily remove what I'm talking about. It depends. If it is part of the brain I would say yes. If not then having a CPU that can't interface with it might functionally but not actually remove it.
Let me ask another way. Suppose that in the future we solve the hard problems of AI like language, vision, mobility, and modeling human behavior. Furthermore we develop the technology to build lifelike human robots, or to clone human bodies without brains and insert computers with AI connected to all the sensory and motor nerves so that nobody can distinguish them from living humans. Suppose we also live in a society of pervasive public surveillance, where everything you say and do is published on the internet for all to see. So after years of watching you and knowing every detail about your life, it is possible to make a copy of you that nobody can distinguish from the original. It knows everything you do and has all the same skills. Any question that you can answer, the robot answers the same way. We call this robot an "upload".
So is this "you"? Knowing you have a realistic copy, perhaps in a younger, stronger, and healthier body and perhaps with a more intelligent but artificial brain, how do you feel about shooting yourself?
-- Matt Mahoney, matmahoney@yahoo.com
----- Original Message ----
From: Matt Paul <lizardblue@gmail.com>
To: "sl4@sl4.org" <sl4@sl4.org>
Sent: Wed, November 25, 2009 10:15:30 PM
Subject: Re: [sl4] Re: goals of AI... non physical components of mind != soul
I don't think that replacing my brain with a cpu would necessarily remove what I'm talking about. It depends. If it is part of the brain I would say yes. If not then having a CPU that can't interface with it might functionally but not actually remove it.
On Nov 25, 2009, at 7:50 PM, Matt Mahoney <matmahoney@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> By non-physical I am trying to label that which is real but cannot currently be measured or detected.
>
> Like, for example, that thing that makes you different from a philosophical zombie? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie
>
> Or if I removed your brain, ground it to a pulp, and then replaced it with a computer that had exactly the same behavior so that nobody could detect any change in the behavior of your body, then you mean that invisible thing that is now missing from you?
>
> Is it the thing you so desperately want to preserve, because like all animals, you have evolved to fear the hundreds of different things that can kill you? If it weren't for those strong emotions, would you even need such a concept?
>
> -- Matt Mahoney, matmahoney@yahoo.com
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Matt Paul <lizardblue@gmail.com>
> To: "sl4@sl4.org" <sl4@sl4.org>
> Sent: Wed, November 25, 2009 6:38:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [sl4] Re: goals of AI... non physical components of mind != soul
>
>
>
>
>
> On Nov 25, 2009, at 3:38 PM, Stathis Papaioannou <stathisp@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> How do you figure that quantum phenomena are "non physical" when they
>> are the basis of all physics? Also, quantum computers don't actually
>> do anything that classical computers don't do, such as computing
>> non-computable functions.
>>
> Ok, I see a problem arising here. I used the term "non-physical" and I think that I should clarify that this is because I struggle to find another term for it. I don't think it is the best term and I hope we don't get too hung up on it. By non-physical I am trying to label that which is real but cannot currently be measured or detected.
>
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