While we're able to make robots that can seriously creep us out like this robot teacher below, we haven't been able to give them consciousness. The advancements we've made in computer science and robotics, two young disciplines, are impressive. Moore's Law is a good example of how quickly things can change. Gordon Moore observed in 1965 that the number of transistors that could fit on a silicon chip an inch (2.54 centimeters) in diameter doubled every year. That's a logarithmic growth pattern. While computer scientists would adjust the observation by lengthening the amount of time it takes before we can cram more transistors onto a chip, we've still shrunk transistors down to the nanoscale.

In robotics, engineers have created machines with multiple points of articulation. Some robots have an array of sensors that can gather information about the environment, allowing the robot to maneuver through a simple obstacle course. Honda's ASIMO robot can climb stairs and run. From manufacturing to military applications, robots are making a big impact

Though computers and robots are more advanced than ever, they're still just tools. They can be useful, particularly for tasks that would either be dangerous to humans or would take too long to complete without computer assistance. But robots and computers are unaware of their own existence and can only perform tasks for which they were programmed.

But what if they could think for themselves? It's a common theme in science fiction. Machines become self-aware, changing the dynamic between man and machine. Could it really happen?

[color=#990000]Computer and Robot Consciousness[/color]
Artificial consciousness may never progress further than a simulation of human consciousness

Whether or not computers or robots can gain consciousness isn’t as easy a question as you might think. There is still much we don’t know about human consciousness. While programmers and computer scientists create algorithms that can simulate thinking on a superficial level, cracking the code necessary to give consciousness to a machine remains beyond our grasp.

Part of the problem lies with defining consciousness. Eric Schwitzgebel, professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside, suggests that the concept is best explained through examples of what consciousness is and what it isn’t. Schwitzgebel says that vivid sensations are part of consciousness. You could argue that through sensors, robots and computers can experience — or at least detect — stimuli that we would interpret as sensations. But Schwitzgebel also points out other instances of consciousness: inner speech, visual imagery, emotions and dreams are all elements we can experience that machines can’t.

Not all philosophers agree upon what is and isn’t consciousness. At best, most agree that consciousness rests in the brain. But we don’t fully understand the mechanisms that provide consciousness. Without this understanding, it may be impossible to endow machines with consciousness. It’s possible to create programs that mimic thought. These programs might give a machine the ability to recognize and respond to patterns. But ultimately, the machine isn’t aware of itself. It’s simply responding to commands.

Neurologists and computer scientists could conceivably create an artificial model of a human brain that might produce consciousness. The problem these scientists face isn’t trivial. Since we don’t have a full understanding of how the brain works, building an artificial version might not be adequate to create actual consciousness.

Despite the challenges, there are teams of engineers and scientists around the world working toward artificial consciousness. It remains to be seen if we’ll ever achieve this goal. But assuming we did find a way to give machines consciousness, what happens then?

It’s not hard to feel empathy for ASIMO even though ASIMO can’t feel anything. Artificial consciousness could give way to serious ethical questions. If machines become self-aware, could they react in a negative way to the situation they’re in? Could machines object to being used as tools? Would they have feelings?

There’s a lot of debate on the subject. Since no one has managed to create an artificially conscious machine, it’s impossible to say what features it will and won’t have. But if machines gain the ability to be self-reflective, it could require us to reconsider the way we think about them. At what point would a machine possess the sort of intelligence and consciousness that would necessitate us bestowing them legal rights? Or would machines remain tools and possibly consider themselves to be slaves? Conscious machines form the basis of several apocalyptic science fiction tales. Movies like “The Matrix” or “The Terminator” envision a world in which machines have subjugated mankind. These scenarios rely on the concept of self-recursive improvement.

Self-recursive improvement refers to the theoretical ability of a machine to examine itself, recognize ways in which it could improve its own design and then either tweak itself or build new and improved versions of machines. Each generation of machines would be smarter and better designed than the generation before. Futurist Ray Kurzweil suggests that machines will become so adept at improving themselves that before long we would enter an age in which technology evolves at a blisteringly fast pace. We would have to redefine reality because it wouldn’t resemble the present at all. He calls this the singularity.

In this world, what happens to humans? In some scenarios, we merge with machines. Artificial and real consciousness become something entirely new. But in other scenarios, the machines come to the conclusion that humans are no longer necessary. At best, the machines ignore us as they continue to build more impressive technology. In the worst case, machines wipe us out either as an act of self-preservation or in revenge.

These scenarios could all be moot — we may never learn the secret to creating an artificial consciousness. It could be that consciousness is fundamentally physiological and that we can’t simulate it artificially. But just in case we do figure it all out, you may want to be a little nicer to your computer.

source: http://advanxis.com/blog-news/tech/could-computers-and-robots-become-conscious-if-so-what-happens-then

For More Advanced Tech stories visit: http://advanxis.com/blog-news/tech

Nice thread...very educative...some of your reservations bout Robot having an independent think is quite valid.....cos consciousness also breed corruption in human and it won't b different in a machine as well...and theirs will b worst cos some robot will be fit with power equivalent to hundred men.....


To me machine shud stay as machine sincw it sole purpose is to be used as a tool lessen task or carrying out dangerous mission... It doesn't need consciousness....and consciousness is only human thing.... I doubt it will ever b replicated in a machine....

This is very detailed.
Make iRobot movie no just come to pass sha
Cause we are doomed

Woooow! Amazing article. But do we currently have the technology to create conscious machine? Maybe time will tell

PermSec01:
Nice thread...very educative...some of your reservations bout Robot having an independent think is quite valid.....cos consciousness also breed corruption in human and it won't b different in a machine as well...and theirs will b worst cos some robot will be fit with power equivalent to hundred men.....


To me machine shud stay as machine sincw it sole purpose is to be used as a tool lessen task or carrying out dangerous mission... It doesn't need consciousness....and consciousness is only human thing.... I doubt it will ever b replicated in a machine....

thanks for the read

Thetea:
This is very detailed.
Make iRobot movie no just come to pass sha
Cause we are doomed

Lol, well who knows in the future most of those things we watch in movies may happen in one way or the other

Robots would do well in the industrial area. I mean look at Japan for example, over 1.5 million robots are already in use in their various industries. Hopefully one day Nigeria would embrace such high tech functionally.
Good thread btw
Very educative
Kudos

chiefzebulu:
Robots would do well in the industrial area. I mean look at Japan for example, over 1.5 million robots are already in use in their various industries. Hopefully one day Nigeria would embrace such high tech functionally.
Good thread btw
Very educative
Kudos

Hmm it would take a very long time for us to get there. Besides we African are too conservative for our own good sometimes.

whatever emotions these machines are programmed to display doesn’t and won’t ever make them human like.

whatever emotions these machines are programmed to display doesn’t and won’t ever make them human like.

techmatas:


thanks for the read

I doubt too cause at the end of the day they can only function with written codes and who write these codes ? We humans

Still can’t wrap my head around the fact that inventors are so hell bent on making robots act and behave like humans. I mean let’s focus on something else, they don’t necessarily have to be like us. Just make them able to do hard labour and it’s a win win for everyone

Thetea:
This is very detailed.
Make iRobot movie no just come to pass sha
Cause we are doomed

going by the pace of Technological development currently sweeping the length and breadth of our world anything is possible

smalldoctor002:

Hmm it would take a very long time for us to get there. Besides we African are too conservative for our own good sometimes.

While you’re right on that. I think the coming generation would lean into tech more compared to our older generation. We have bright minds in this country, not just our country to but Africa in general.

Robots? No but Al, yes
And here's the kicker, in my opinion : AI will become self aware, not because someone was attempting to create self awareness, but rather because someone makes an error while entering a string of code.

We can take all the precautions we want to. Institute all sorts or rules and regulations on what can and cannot be done in regards to AI development. It isn't going to matter - the Rise of the Machines will happen because of some transposed digits.

Yes, robots will become conscious.

By ‘robot’ I mean something like a human or animal but artificial. Its construction can include simple organic molecules, like amino acids, but nothing of biological origin.

Animals, including humans, are obviously finite, understandable machines. Admittedly they’re very complex, and currently mysterious. But there can’t be anything fundamentally beyond our comprehension about conscious animals.
Most likely consciousness is very simple. It’s probably just a fundamental property of matter. But suppose, instead, it’s due to a ‘supernatural soul’. I doubt it, but some believe it. Even so, there must be some mechanical trick in the brain which attaches to this hypothetical soul. It may create ‘bait’ which attracts the soul, and a ‘trap’ which keeps it attached. No matter how it works, we’ll figure it out and incorporate it into a robot.
If, against all reason, it’s ‘emergent’ (whatever that means), then computers are probably already conscious.
Bottom line: The true nature of consciousness is completely irrelevant to this question. However it works, we’ll reproduce it in a robot.

It depends on how you define consciousness really. That is much harder than you might think.

I have seen it defined as ‘the ability to produce output that is not dependent upon input conditions’ and by that definition, we already have conscious machines.
Consciousness may also be defined as ‘the state of being aware of and responsive to one's surroundings’ - this too, computers can achieve. Even simple robots meet this criterion, but more advanced machines are able to draw quite significant inference from the input they receive.

In terms of selfhood, though, the perception of oneself as a true individual however, I have not yet seen evidence of this. Creepily close but not quite there. To be fair to the machine though, most humans would provide a less clear answer to the question of their own consiousness than the machine does of its own.

don’t think robots will achieve consciousness within a decade, which is the maximum period of time which I am willing to make this kind of prediction.

Currently we do not even have a definition of what it means to “achieve consciousness” which is an indicator that we are a long way off.

Consciousness is hardly explainable or measurable. It would be nearly impossible to replicate it artificially if we can't even understand what it is.

AI is today just a way to analyze complex patterns and map them to an answer/action.

chiefzebulu:
Robots would do well in the industrial area. I mean look at Japan for example, over 1.5 million robots are already in use in their various industries. Hopefully one day Nigeria would embrace such high tech functionally.
Good thread btw
Very educative
Kudos

Robot and robotics is an inevitable Technological revolution that will definitely permeate the modern society. though slowly, but surely we will get there

INTERESTING

very impressive

wow

the world is going digital. we will get there

I still don't understand why they are tryin to make them so human like.

its unlikely