How AI Will Become Self-Aware and When? A Lot Sooner than you think!
Summary
TLDRThis script delves into the concept of AI consciousness, exploring the history of natural language programs like Eliza and the Turing test's role in assessing machine intelligence. It questions whether AI, such as ChatGPT, can be conscious, despite passing rigorous tests and simulating human conversation. The discussion suggests AI's current limitations to pattern recognition without self-awareness, contrasting with human cognitive abilities. It ponders the future possibility of creating conscious machines, hinting at both technological and philosophical implications.
Takeaways
- 💬 People tend to anthropomorphize AI, attributing human-like feelings to it.
- 🧠 Joseph Weizenbaum's Eliza program demonstrated that even simple AI could give the illusion of understanding.
- 🤔 The script challenges the common belief that AI like ChatGPT possesses consciousness.
- 📚 ChatGPT operates on a large language model, learning from vast amounts of text to predict word patterns.
- 🔍 The Turing Test, proposed by Alan Turing, is a method to evaluate a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human.
- 🏆 ChatGPT version 4 reportedly passed a rigorous version of the Turing Test in March 2024.
- 🚫 Despite passing the Turing Test, ChatGPT is not considered conscious by scientists.
- 🧐 The script discusses the limitations of AI, noting that it lacks self-awareness and the ability to make novel conclusions.
- 🌟 The concept of emergence in consciousness is introduced, suggesting that AI could potentially develop consciousness if it mimics the brain's interconnections.
- 🔮 Futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts that conscious machines might be possible by around 2030.
- ⁉️ The script concludes by pondering the implications of conscious machines and what it would mean for society.
Q & A
What was the illusion created by Joseph Weizenbaum's Eliza program?
-Eliza created an illusion of understanding to users by simulating human conversation through simple pattern matching, even though it did not have any capability to understand anything.
Why were people attributing human-like feelings to Eliza?
-People, including Weizenbaum's own secretary, attributed human-like feelings to Eliza because we tend to anthropomorphize anything that faintly resembles us, assuming there's an individual or consciousness without thinking about it.
What is the Turing test and how does it relate to machine consciousness?
-The Turing test is a method proposed by Alan Turing to determine if a machine can think, by having a human judge converse with both a human and a machine and not being able to reliably tell which is which. It's used as a litmus test for consciousness, but it only shows the machine's ability to simulate human conversation, not necessarily that it has a mind or is aware.
How did ChatGPT perform on the Turing test according to the Stanford University researchers?
-In March of 2024, Stanford University researchers reported that the latest version of ChatGPT, GPT 4, had passed a rigorous version of the Turing test.
What is the criticism of the Turing test in the context of machine consciousness?
-The criticism is that while the test can show that a machine can simulate human conversation, it does not prove that the machine has a mind or is aware. A machine that passes the Turing test does not necessarily have consciousness.
How does ChatGPT work and what is its limitation in terms of consciousness?
-ChatGPT works like a super-fast reader and writer, spotting patterns in how people use words and piecing together words that fit best with the question and context. It doesn't have a mind to think on its own or have an awareness of itself because it's simply looking at patterns and synthesizing information based on what it was trained on.
What is the definition of consciousness used in the script?
-The script uses the simple Wikipedia definition of consciousness as awareness of existence, including aspects like selfhood, soul, free will, subjective experience, sentience, and qualia.
What is the emergent phenomenon and how does it relate to consciousness?
-The emergent phenomenon refers to a property that arises from the interactions of a system's components that isn't found in the components themselves. In the context of consciousness, it means that consciousness arises from the interconnections and interactions of billions of neurons within the brain.
What is the position of Marvin Minsky on the mind and brain?
-Marvin Minsky believed that 'mind is what the brain does,' suggesting that the mind's functions, including consciousness, are the result of the brain's activities and could, in principle, be replicated by a machine.
What does the futurist Ray Kurzweil estimate regarding the creation of conscious machines?
-Futurist Ray Kurzweil estimates that around 2030, it might be possible to build conscious machines, suggesting that the technology could be achievable in the near future.
What is the main question the script leaves us with regarding conscious machines?
-The main question left by the script is not whether or when conscious machines will be built, but what the implications and consequences will be once they are created.
Outlines
🤖 Anthropomorphizing AI: The Eliza Effect
This paragraph introduces the tendency of humans to anthropomorphize AI systems like ChatGPT, Siri, and Alexa. It begins by referencing the 1960s’ Eliza, a natural language program that, despite its lack of true understanding, led users, including the creator’s secretary, to attribute human-like qualities to it. The paragraph also discusses how two-thirds of people believe AI may possess consciousness, despite the ongoing debate among scientists. It sets the stage for the video’s exploration of AI consciousness, questioning whether machines like ChatGPT are intelligent or conscious.
🧠 Defining Consciousness: Awareness and Intelligence
This paragraph focuses on defining consciousness, drawing from sources like Wikipedia and Scientific American. Terms such as selfhood, free will, sentience, and qualia are discussed as attributes of consciousness. The paragraph also introduces Alan Turing’s 1950 test (the Turing Test) designed to determine if machines can think. It notes that although GPT-4 passed the Turing Test in 2024, scientists argue this doesn't prove consciousness—merely that AI can simulate human conversation, much like a computer simulating a coffee machine without producing real coffee.
🤔 Limitations of ChatGPT: Intelligence Without Consciousness
This paragraph explains how ChatGPT operates as a large language model (LLM), synthesizing and predicting patterns from a vast array of human-generated data without true understanding. While intelligent in terms of processing and pattern recognition, it lacks self-awareness or the ability to make novel conclusions. The comparison is made between ChatGPT and a computer simulating a coffee machine: ChatGPT may simulate conversation but lacks an actual 'mind' to think on its own. The paragraph concludes by stating that scientists largely agree AI is intelligent but not conscious.
📚 AI's Future: Consciousness and Learning Pathways
This paragraph shifts the discussion toward the possibility of AI developing consciousness in the future. It introduces a promotional segment for Simplilearn, an online learning platform offering courses in AI and machine learning. The paragraph emphasizes the growing role of AI across industries and encourages viewers to pursue in-depth studies through Simplilearn, highlighting its certifications and partnerships with top universities and companies.
🧬 Can AI Become Conscious? Human Brains vs. Algorithms
The paragraph resumes the debate about AI consciousness, discussing the argument that LLMs like ChatGPT cannot achieve true consciousness because they are restricted to human-defined algorithms. The counter-argument is posed: if only biological brains can be conscious, what makes them unique? The paragraph also addresses the idea that consciousness may arise from outside the brain, countering that there is no scientific evidence supporting this theory. Most cognitive scientists believe consciousness emerges from complex neural interactions within the brain, not from individual neurons or external sources.
🌊 The Emergence of Consciousness: A Property of the Brain
This paragraph explores the concept of consciousness as an emergent property of the brain. It uses the analogy of water: just as wetness arises from the interaction of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, consciousness arises from the complex interactions of neurons in the brain. The paragraph concludes by questioning whether machines can eventually replicate this emergent process and achieve consciousness, suggesting that while such technology may be out of reach now, it cannot be ruled out for the future.
🛠 Can We Build Conscious Machines?
This paragraph delves into the technical feasibility of replicating consciousness in machines. It discusses Marvin Minsky's view that the 'mind is what the brain does,' implying that consciousness is a function that could, in theory, be replicated in machines. The paragraph discusses the possibility of creating a machine with a mind in the future, with futurist Ray Kurzweil predicting such advancements by 2030. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the question of 'then what?'—the ethical and philosophical implications once machines achieve consciousness.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Consciousness
💡Turing Test
💡Large Language Model (LLM)
💡Emergent Phenomenon
💡Mind
💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)
💡Pattern Recognition
💡Self-awareness
💡Qualia
💡Emergent Consciousness in Machines
Highlights
Joseph Weizenbaum created Eliza, a program simulating human conversation without actual understanding.
People tend to anthropomorphize AI, attributing human-like feelings to computer programs.
There's widespread disagreement among scientists on whether AI is intelligent or conscious.
ChatGPT's ability to write scripts does not equate to consciousness, but could be seen as pattern recognition and regurgitation.
Consciousness is difficult to define, with definitions ranging from awareness to subjective experience.
Alan Turing proposed the Turing test to determine if a machine can think, which has been influential but also criticized.
ChatGPT passed a version of the Turing test in 2024, but this does not imply consciousness.
Critics argue the Turing test shows simulation, not mind or awareness.
ChatGPT operates by recognizing patterns in language rather than thinking like a human.
Large Language Models like ChatGPT are limited to the information they are trained on and cannot reflect or 'know' the information.
AI can be intelligent to some degree, but it is not conscious according to current scientific understanding.
The question of whether AI can become conscious is still open, with some experts arguing it's impossible due to the nature of algorithms.
Consciousness is seen by many cognitive scientists as an emergent phenomenon within the brain.
The concept of emergence suggests that machines could potentially have a 'mind' if we understand the processes of consciousness.
Marvin Minsky suggested that if we can specify the functional process of consciousness, there's no obstacle to building it into a machine.
Ray Kurzweil estimates that conscious machines could be built around 2030.
The speaker posits that it's a matter of time before we build conscious machines, with the bigger question being the implications afterward.
Transcripts
If you’ve ever had a text exchange or conversation with something like ChatGPT,
or Siri, or Amazon Alexa, you might have found it difficult not to imagine a human
being on the other side of the screen. In the 1960’s computer scientist Joseph
Weizenbaum of MIT created a natural language program called Eliza. It was a simple pattern
matching program that simulated human conversation. It gave an illusion of
understanding to users, but as you might expect, using 1960s technology, it did not have any
capability to understand anything. Weizenbaum was shocked that many people who used the program,
including his own secretary, attributed human-like feelings to the computer program.
We generally tend to anthropomorphize anything that even faintly resembles us. We often assume
there’s an individual, or purpose or even a conscious entity in human-seeming objects,
without thinking about it. In fact, two-thirds of people believe that AI possesses consciousness,
But among scientists, there’s wide disagreement on whether common forms of AI like the ones I
mentioned are even intelligent, let alone conscious. Is ChatGPT’s ability to write a
Youtube script on consciousness, intelligence, or is it simply regurgitating inputs given to
it by a human-created, fine-tuned, algorithm? It seems no two people can even agree on what
consciousness is. So we are going to try to define it, and then answer the question are
AI machines capable of being Conscious? How would we recognize it if it happens? This
may be one of the biggest questions we face for our future. That’s coming up right now…
Let’s first define what consciousness is, so that we have a baseline for reference.
Now this is not so easy. Wikipedia defines consciousness as awareness of internal and
external existence. Scientific American defines it as everything you experience.
The words associated with consciousness include selfhood, soul, free will,
subjective experience unique to the individual, sentience – the capability to sense and respond
with free will (or perceived free will) to its world, and qualia, the subjective qualities of
experience that is felt by the individual. Keep those ideas in mind as a general
guideline for what consciousness likely is, rather than get bogged down by a
precise definition. For now, I like the simple Wikipedia definition, awareness of existence.
In 1950, English mathematician Alan Turing proposed a way to determine whether a machine
can actually think, whether it as a mind. This proposal is now called the Turing test in his
honor, but was originally called the imitation game. In this test, a human judge holds a text
conversation with two entities, one a human being and a one a computer. If the judge cannot reliably
tell which of the two entities is artificial, Turing believed that the artificial machine
must be considered as having a mind. It turns out that while the difficulty
of meeting this standard may have seemed insurmountable in 1950, it does not seem
all that difficult today. In fact, in March of 2024, Stanford University researchers reported
that the latest version of ChatGPT, GPT 4, had passed a rigorous version of the Turing test.
So does this mean ChatGPT is conscious? Not in the least, according to scientists. Although
the Turning test has been very influential, as a kind of litmus test for consciousness,
it has also received heavy criticism. The most common criticism is that while the test can show
that a machine can simulate human conversation, it does not prove that the machine has a mind,
or is aware. In other words, a machine that passes the Turing test does not necessarily have
consciousness. Some scientists have described this metaphorically as a computer simulating
a coffee machine. While it may perfectly simulate the workings of a coffee machine,
including all its functions and even sounds, it does not make anything that we can actually
drink to experience drinking coffee. So the question is whether ChatGPT is
like the coffee machine simulating the function of a mind, without actually being
anything like a mind. To understand this, let’s briefly look at how ChatGPT works.
Imagine ChatGPT like a super-fast reader and writer. It's been fed a massive number of books,
articles, and conversations, and it's learned to spot patterns in how people use words. This is why
it’s called a Large Language Model, or LLM. When you ask it something, it doesn't think like humans
do. It pieces together words that fit best with the question and context, based on patterns that
it recognizes from all the material it was trained on. It essentially predicts patterns of words.
So can we say that ChatGPT has a mind? Well, no because it doesn’t really quote unquote “know”
anything. It is simply looking at patterns. The problem with LLMs is that at the end of the day
they are just super fancy synthesizers of information, and restricted to whatever
humans have taught them. They don’t have the ability to reflect or "know" the information
they are producing, to make novel conclusions, or achieve new knowledge like humans have. They
are limited to knowledge from the material they are given to study, which is still human made.
So the answer to my previous question is yes, chatGPT is rather like the computer that
can simulate a coffee machine but can’t produce anything that we can actually drink. It can hold a
conversation like a human being, but does not have a mind to think on its own or have an awareness of
itself. We can probably say that it is intelligent at least to some degree, if we define intelligence
as the ability to learn, store, synthesize and interpret information to answer questions and
solve problems. So this is what most scientists think, that AI is intelligent but not conscious.
Notice that I’m using AI and chatGPT interchangeably because not only is it
what most people think of when discussing AI, but it is also arguably the most
sophisticated form of AI currently. So if scientists agree that chatGPT
is not conscious currently, does it have the capability to eventually become conscious?
That’s the question we will answer and provide the rationale for in the rest of this video.
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Now regarding the question of whether chatGPT can ever become conscious,
and again we are defining consciousness as awareness of internal and external existence…
There are some computer experts, including our own in-house computer expert that thinks AI
can never be conscious because as he says, LLMs are nothing but algorithms trained to
synthesize results based on human produced data. And even if allowed to self-learn, it conforms to
a human-defined fitness function, which is no less or greater than the human that defined it. It will
not lead to new thoughts or discoveries. But the argument I posed to him is this:
if you say that only humans or biological animals can be conscious, then you are saying that there
is something unique about a biological brain that cannot ever be replicated artificially. What is
that uniqueness about the human or animal brain? And by the way, I know there are some people
who believe consciousness does not arise from within the brain, but from elsewhere,
and that the brain acts like a radio receiver. To this I say, there is absolutely no evidence
of this. No consciousness has ever been found in a person or animal who did not have a functioning
brain. There is no evidence of a receiving mechanism of any kind in the brain. And no
consciousness or thoughts have ever been detected outside of the brain. So, no one can keep you from
believing whatever you want, but if you believe consciousness comes from somewhere else other than
brains, it’s a belief, not based on any science. Most cognitive scientists believe that
consciousness is an emergent phenomenon arising within the brain. What does this
mean? It means that you won’t find consciousness in individual neurons,
or other isolated brain structures, but it arises from the interconnections and the chemical and
electrical interactions of billions of neurons. The classical example of emergence comes from
John Stuart Mill, the 19th century English philosopher, using water. A hydrogen atom is
not wet. Neither is an oxygen atom. Nor does a single H2O molecule, made up of hydrogen
and oxygen atoms, have that property. But put lots of those molecules together, interacting
at room temperature, and you have something new: liquidity. Only now do you have something wet.
That’s emergence. The emergent property of “wetness” arising from countless interacting
H2O molecules is analogous to “consciousness” arising from countless interacting neurons.
So from the brain emerges the mind which has consciousness.
The question is can machines have a mind? Marvin Minsky, a major figure in the history
of artificial intelligence, who founded the MIT artificial intelligence lab, said that “mind is
what the brain does.” Well, there certainly is something the brain is doing. In principle, we
should be able to specify what that something is. Suppose there is something that consciousness
does, and we can put our finger on what that is. The next step would be to specify
that functional something is operationally. At its core, it must be a process that moves from
some range of inputs to some range of outputs. This is because consciousness manifests itself
ultimately as a range of outputs that we perceive. Suppose we succeed in giving a formal outline of
the process of consciousness. There shouldn’t be, then, any obstacle to building that formal process
into a machine. Now, it’s quite possible that we don’t have the capability to build such a machine.
It’s possible that such a machine requires some combination of hardware and biological wetware.
But at some point in the future this technology can not be ruled out. When will this happen?
Futurist Ray Kurzweil estimates around 2030. That’s not so far away. I can wait 6 years.
There was a time we thought no artificial machine could think like humans enough to
beat us at chess, or in the game Jeopardy, or the Chinese game Go,
or hold a conversation without us noticing. All these have been accomplished in recent years with
man-made machines. Is there really something so unique about a mind that it too cannot also be
replicated by a machine? I don’t think so. My opinion is that It's probably only a
matter of time that we will have all we need in order to build conscious machines. In my view,
the biggest question is not if nor even when, but after it happens, then what?
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