The debate over whether artificial intelligence is conscious or not. | Teen Ink

The debate over whether artificial intelligence is conscious or not.

June 26, 2024
By myae08 BRONZE, Arlington, Virginia
myae08 BRONZE, Arlington, Virginia
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Consciousness is defined as the ability one contains to be aware of themself, thoughts and feelings. The rather infamous question on whether Artificial Intelligence is a conscious being or not, and the conclusion is that no answer exists. The concept of Artificial intelligence being conscious is relative, meaning that not one individual can determine whether Artificial Intelligence possesses consciousness. While countless debates can be made in either favor, neither argument can be proven to be entirely accurate. The truth is, there simply does not contain enough research to completely understand the idea of consciousness. No one can ever prove that Artificial Intelligence is conscious, because humans cannot even prove that anything is conscious. And if humans have yet to understand the idea of consciousness, how would they decide on whether Artificial Intelligence is conscious or not? Artificial Intelligence is simply a product of human creation, so how can a computer screen be conscious? 

Human consciousness is based on experiences and desires rooted in their needs and wants. Although humans can simulate a system that appears to be self aware, there is no definite way of deciding whether that system is conscious or not. The human mind possesses subjective experiences, which is defined as personal feelings or thoughts that only humans can feel. They are how humans see and feel things in their own mind, which is usually different from how others experience the same thing. Subjective experiences are something that Artificial Intelligence cannot experience. A human might experience the taste of their favorite candy and find it pleasurable, associating it with happiness and good thoughts, Artificial Intelligence cannot however experience this. Artificial Intelligence could however process data about chocolate and identify its chemical components and structure but it cannot replicate the subjective and emotional connection humans feel.  Artificial Intelligence lacks emotional responses that shape human subjective experiences and the conscious mind. However, despite these considerations, multiple types of consciousness coexist together. How would one know Artificial Intelligence does not fall under one of these categories? Some theories and/or hypothetical scenarios involve beings or other living things that possess awareness and cognitive abilities, but do not experience emotions as humans do. A theory proposed by Daniel Dannett, which states that consciousness is not a single thought but rather a series of ongoing "drafts" in one’s brain. This theory could help support the argument that Artificial Intelligence exhibits a form of consciousness, however not to the extent of human consciousness.

However, this does not diminish the possibility that Artificial Intelligence could potentially reach a level of consciousness similar to humans in the near future. One can argue that Artificial Intelligence is essentially just patterns programmed by humans, and responses are generated based upon these patterns. Artificial Intelligence, if not conscious, then is rather a model made to replicate aspects of consciousness. ​​However, a more real perspective is that Artificial Intelligence demonstrates consciousness in an unhuman like way. Will Artificial Intelligence ever reach the level of advancement comparable to humans? It is already similar to humans in many aspects, however it is only as powerful as a human trains it to be 



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