[Styxx]

If mankind suddenly had the ability to build fully sentient artificial intelligences (keeping any constraints the designers deemed appropriate, of course), would you be for it, or against it? And why? Where do you think they'd be best employed? Would they be a benefit or a hinderance?

[Fineus]

An AI that would experience pain, fear and suffering as a human might? I'm against it - as I'm against causing the same emotions in humans. And who are we to give life to such AI - or take it?

[Tiara]

Originally posted by Thunder
An AI that would experience pain, fear and suffering as a human might? I'm against it - as I'm against causing the same emotions in humans. And who are we to give life to such AI - or take it?

Exactly. I am for a very smart AI though (CP's government ). It could help our society greatly. But a sentient one = nono for me.

[CP5670]

hehe....you know what I think on this one...

What would define a sentient AI anyway? There is no "black or white" answer to whether or not something is sentient; heck, even a wall has some level of "sentience" as far as that goes. Although actually, the sentient AIs would just be the new humans, so it would not really matter in any case.

[castor]

Go for it.

I find consciousness hard to exist without sentinence. And non-conscious AI just stinks

[Styxx]

Originally posted by CP5670
What would define a sentient AI anyway?

Self awareness. I'm not talking about "emotions" or anything like that - those concepts would probably be pretty much abstract for it, even though it would understand them. I'm talking about an artificial intelligence that knows it exists and knows what it is - even though it is dedicated to performing any task the programmer designed it for.

And again, why the "no" answers? You just said no, without any particular reason. Is it fear of "evolutionary replacement"? Fear of the thing taking over the world? Or anything else?


I myself am for them - in fact, if I had the time I'd start working on a project to construct one, I already have the basic designs fleshed out on my mind (it would have to be one huge-ass collaborative project, though). They would be faster, "smarter", and more reliable than humans, but still would do whatever the programmer (myself, in that case) coded them to do. Put a good one on serious research on multidimensional physics with all the reference material it might want, for example, and wait for the results.

[Zeronet]

Originally posted by Thunder
An AI that would experience pain, fear and suffering as a human might? I'm against it - as I'm against causing the same emotions in humans. And who are we to give life to such AI - or take it?

Your against Roller Coasters? Lots of people enjoy fear, thats why ppl watch horror movies etc.

[Fineus]

Do you force peolpe onto roller coasters? Do you not get off them?

The fear and the horror is voluntary and controlable by the individual in those instances - an AI would not be able to make that decision (suppose it could - by definition the game would then have to be tested for human rights to ensure the player could not force the AI into a situation it did not want to be in - as it would cause it un-necessary harm).

[Styxx]

Originally posted by Thunder
Do you force peolpe onto roller coasters? Do you not get off them?

The fear and the horror is voluntary and controlable by the individual in those instances - an AI would not be able to make that decision (suppose it could - by definition the game would then have to be tested for human rights to ensure the player could not force the AI into a situation it did not want to be in - as it would cause it un-necessary harm).

Ah, you're thinking of game AIs?

[Petrarch of the VBB]

If there were sentient AIs, it would end up like teh Sirius Cybernetics Corporation, with robots like Marvin, and the insanely optimistic doors everywhere!

[Fineus]

Originally posted by Styxx
Ah, you're thinking of game AIs?

Good point, I guess I kinda fell into that way of thinking - yes I was... however I suppose the same could be said for other AIs... if you take a sentient household chore robot for sweeping floors (should such a thing exist) and hold it out over a cliff I imagine it would experience the same emotions that a human in the same situation would - AIs would require rights as humans would if they could experience emotion and sentience (are the two inclusive of eachother? if there's no emotion attached to the knowlege that a thing exists then perhaps that's a different matter altogether - since if a thing knows it exists but has no fear that it might stop existing it doesn't matter what you do with it - it's not affected).

[beatspete]

One thing, an AI that felt pain, would probably learn to overide it or ignore it.  Some people manage to, why can't a computer which has controll over itself?

[Fineus]

In my experience they'd be a minority? I've not met anyone with a complete tolerance to pain... and AI can only be as good as it's made - would it be able to change its own programming?

[beatspete]

Originally posted by Thunder
I've not met anyone with a complete tolerance to pain... and AI can only be as good as it's made

Well, not a complete tolerance to pain, but you know what i mean, people who walk over hot coals and things.

And i thought the point of AI was that it could learn and improve itself to beyond its designers origional expectations.  Like a person.  Otherwise its not really AI, its just a program that can deal with a lot of things.

Is there a clear cut definition to AI somewhere?

[NegspectahDek]

yes but with a hard wired protection on them.  For example, Asimov's 4 laws of robotics is a perfect example

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by NegspectahDek
yes but with a hard wired protection on them.  For example, Asimov's 4 laws of robotics is a perfect example

A truly sentient AI would probably find a way to break or circumvent those 'laws', though.  There's not an exact human parallel, but surgery to repair organs that have failed through old cage could be considered similar.... and robots would have a lot more knowledge of their insides than we presently do.

[Levyathan]

I say go for it! The day I'm able to have my own SHODAN my life will be complete.

[Ulala]

To answer original question... no. Same reasons as Thunder.. we don't have the right to create or kill a sentient, emotional (hm.. does that work?) AI just as we don't.. well shouldn't kill a human being.

[Mr. Vega]

Originally posted by CP5670
hehe....you know what I think on this one...

What would define a sentient AI anyway? There is no "black or white" answer to whether or not something is sentient; heck, even a wall has some level of "sentience" as far as that goes. Although actually, the sentient AIs would just be the new humans, so it would not really matter in any case.

Than change your meaning of sentience.

Truly sentient AIs would not be as fast as our PCs today. Computers today have a single processor power which does all the main mathematical calculation for the computer. This method produces a very fast calculating robot but it is far to simple to be even halfway intelligent. An earthworm can beat in processing power.

A true sentient AI would need hundreds, if not thousands, of paralell processors, like our own brains. The problem is, this is a much more complex system, and thus, slower. Not to mention it would be an engineering nightmare.

And trying to program intelligence through software? It would make Windows look reliable:D

[ShadowWolf_IH]

I would have to say no, because a sentient ai in my opinion would be nothing more than a slave.  Does my computer know it's a slave to my whim? no.  That's the difference.  I am allowed to choose, and i think that any other sentient being should be allowed those same choices.  Besides, i don't want to pay alimony to japan if i sell my dishwasher one day, if you get my meaning.