COMPUTERS,
BEINGS AND MINDS:
DYNAMIC INTERACTIONS AND
APPLICATIONS
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The origins of this article are in
described in the first section: The Aims and Applications.
The interest was stimulated by the use of computers and the computer model of
mind. Specific applications are in the final section: The Applications So Far. One of the sources of my interest in the content of this article are in the my use of computation in research. The use was originally conceived as passive assistance. The concept expanded to active involvement of a computer. One application is to employs an outline of Evolution and Design which is arrange according to a materialist framework and rearranged in an idealist framework. Comparison of the two outlines using a database program yields information on the significance of the topics. This area of interest may be defined as automation of the knowledge or conceptual process. Thus far, the computation is an assistive tool but is shown to be capable of yielding novel information. A second source of interest lies in my work in mind. Do computers have minds, are they conscious? My view is that modern computers may be assigned mental qualities by convention but do not “know” in the sense of understanding. I believe that modern computers are not conscious. However, I believe knowledge and consciousness may be possible for computers of the future. To make these various cases I review a variety of concepts of computer and computation, of computational theories of mind, and of mind and consciousness. The computational theory is discussed in the section Theory and Concepts while mind and consciousness is discussed in a separate essay, On Mind and Metaphysics. I also outline an experimental approach to the development of knowing, conscious computers. This is discussed in the third and fourth sections Tools and Tasks and Implementation. I believe that idea of the computer – including but not limited to computational theory – is a useful comparison point for the study of mind. I am also interested, for similar reasons, in the more general idea of a computer as a being. Clearly, these two interests interact. Use of a computer in, say, conceptual research shows the capability of specialized intelligence though not, presently, of such hallmarks as understanding, intensionality and consciousness. And, an attempt to understand computers as beings or possessed of a mental character, even unsuccessful or only partially successful, may contribute to artificial intelligence, robotics and the understanding of mind as we currently know it. Summary Can a computer have mind, agency, being?
There is no irrefutable argument against the possibility. Modern theory is
reviewed toward this end and the related use of computers as a co-agent in
human tasks including knowledge. How will computer agency come about? In
addition to theory and experiment, two essential points are: first, computers
will have hardware and software evolution that is not fully driven by their
design... and part of the evolution will be of the device as a whole; and,
second, the evolution will be in contact with human [and/or other beings]
which will result in transfer of and mutual participation in agency. If we
were to meet a device from outer space how would we recognize it as an agent
as having mind? Theoretically the question is interesting but it is necessary
to go beyond the Turing test. Criteria such as adaptation to an environment,
evolutionary levels that are not flat are a beginning. But, at the present
time, intuition and empathy appear to be the best candidates to recognize
agency. |
What
is the Meaning of "Dynamic Interactions of Computers, Beings and
Minds"?
Document
Production and
Maintenance
Document And Knowledge Storage And Retrieval
Research,
Conceptual Synthesis
How to Get a Computer to Think