Hi Jim, I have thought about this extensively over the years... I feel that uploading our consciousness into a computer would likely make an interactive AI replica, but I do not think it would still be connected to a "soul" (if you will). for anyone who doesn't believe in souls, then it wouldn't matter to them. Anyone who believes there is some sort of physical "energy" that would be lacking with an electronic simulacrum, would probably feel that although it would be nice to have, that it would not be 'the same' as being alive.
That being said, what I would love to do is upload my consciousness into a sim or android/robot/etc, and see how that develops in comparison to how the "bio" version of me develops. I think that that would help us gather alot of data on the topic. But it would seem to me, very likely, that the electronic version of me would evolve/adapt faster than the bio-me because of the transfer and processing of data. It wouldn't be a completely accurate experiment until/unless the bio-me would be able to have that kind of speed/access of data as well. But regardless, I think it would let us know how viable/accurate our uploads are. And I suspect that if we can reach a technological state where we can do non-lethal-uploading that it will suddenly be very common for people to want to upload themselves, then ask the electronic-me to go research stuff that bio-me wants... and then have those specific conversations. It would be amazing to have electronic-me go do the learning that I want, and then have them guide the bio-me through it step by step in the common language. Back to the original question... as someone who believes in some kind of biological energy connection, I believe that it would most likely be severed from the electronic-me. But I have wondered what would happen if we used synthetic biology to create another host-body, and transferred consciousnesses to it.... I am not sure if we would then have two biological energy connections (me original-me, and duplicate-me were both made of living material), and if so would they be 'the same' or would there be a 'new' connection for the synthetic-me? But then this brings us to the question of where that energy is connected to us.... (Ship of Theseus)... I feel as though it is in the brain... so how much could we augment the brain before it might no longer be able to maintain that energy connection? I feel as though if any of the brain is still living, then the connection would likely be there. (if my beliefs are valid... which I do not mean to propose, IN ANY WAY, that they are... I am merely answering your question from my point of view, because it seems that you are interested in the data of others). -Bells ~ Bells Hakala (617) 416-4142 On Tue, Sep 18, 2018 at 6:07 PM Jim Bromer via AGI <[email protected]> wrote: > I already regret asking these questions, but do you truly (really - > honestly) believe that: > Conscious Experience or soul or Qualia or the experience of being (or > whatever you want to call it) does not actually exist (or occur)? > and/or > This experience (whatever you want to call it) can therefore occur in > a computer program? > Jim Bromer ------------------------------------------ Artificial General Intelligence List: AGI Permalink: https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi/T2e5182d7ce6527f7-Mb63d0f27fa0c13ff0f6018f1 Delivery options: https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi/subscription
