How to evoke the self-awareness and consciousness
of the Internet. The scientific project.Andrzej Brodziak *, Eugenia Piotrowska #
Content of the page:
1.
Formulation of the Problem.
2.
3.
Supplement
2: The letter sent to some discussion groups, through “deja.com” also sub title :
Week, strong and very strong version of singularity.
4.Supplement 3:
The fragment of the text of Ray Kurzweil
5.Link
to McKinstry's GAC Project (Generic Artificial Consciousness
Contact to the authors :
Company: Silesian Medical University.:
* The Department of Internal Diseases, Address: 41-902 Bytom, ul. Zeromskiego 7 , Poland
e-mail : brodziakandrzej@hotmail.com
tel/fax : 48-32 2812122
Summary : The project assume that the question formulated in its title and some probable and possible actions taken up on its basis can stimulate the serious scientific considerations related to the phenomenon of consciousness . It is extremely essential for possible answers to questions like 1. how to avoid the next religious ( nationalistic) wars, 2. how to project a better more comfortable order of our global society. The outline of the planed venture (see below) is basis on a very concrete technological step done by the authors.
They proposed the mathematical, electronic and algorythmic model of the artificial neural net or any kind of „self-sustained net” called „equimerec” ( equilibrating- memorizing and recalling unit ). It is in fact also the model of the process “how to imagine itself”, what probably is the essence of self-awareness. The data about equimerec are accessible under : http://salve.slam.katowice.pl/phenomen.html
The aim of the project is to consider and plan the necessary technological means to evoke the self-awareness and consciousness of the global computer network of our planet.
Reasons of the undertaking: 1. The last century was the most cruel in all our history. About 200 billions of people was killed during religious and nationalistic wars. There are no indications that the process of ideological wars is restraint. 2. The mean level of frustration among people of our planet is very high. 3. The international institutions bases on human decision process are ineffective. 4. It is probable that the search for solutions of the contemporary sophisticated problems needs higher level of self-awareness .
The methodology: The centers which will realize the project during the first stage of the development will gather the serious, scientifically grounded proposals about the possible way how to realize the goal.
The centers realizing the project, first should look among the scientific, published reports of experiments for data related to the trials of the reproductions of the self-awareness on the basis of artificial neural networks.
The authors of this proposal want to present also own idea based on the assumption that the nature of the self-awareness consists on the ability to „imagine it self”. We have proposed the neural network called „equilibrating - memorizing and recalling unit” ( „equi-me-rec”) which could be the model of the process of the recalling of the mental image of oneself.
The equi-me-rec is defined and presented in full details under: http://salve.slam.katowice.pl/phenomn.html
It is necessary to consider also simultaneously the idea of Roger Penrose, H. Frohlich, S.R. Hameroff , Marii Jibu and Matti Pitkanen . It is known that this school of thinking assume that the nature of consciousness is based on „non algorythmic”, „non computational” unknown process which happens in microtubules of neurons. This alleged phenomenon from the realm of post quantum physics which could be based on David Bohm’s mathematical interpretations of so called „pilot waves” is not proved and understood. However it is very probable that it is acting. When the nature of self-awareness will be really based on this post-quantum physics the consciousness would be connected the much more „massive” phenomena of implicate, hidden order of the Universe. Of course, in this case trials of the reproduction of the consciousness inside the Internet would be much more difficult.
People realizing the project should first test this problem and drawn some conclusions. It is essential if the self-awareness is reproducible on the basis of artificial neural network or rather on the basis of biological elements of the biosphere of the planet.
When the task will be more simple and the goal could be approached by the methodology of the artificial neural networks the practical stage of the endeavors could be planed.
In the stage of practical realization of the project the computing center should be build. Some central “computers” structured as the brain’s neural networks should percept and imagine !! the pattern of the world. Many processing procedures are necessary as e.g the comparison of these two „mental images”,
The center of this elementary, planetary “feeling” should be able to speak throughout some media comprehensible for people.
It is not science- fiction project !! Some arguments and detailed reasoning are presented below and
will be completed. The idea will be developed by subsequent supplements. The first supplement try to define what would be necessary to reproduce the self-awareness in a “robot-shaped neural circuit unit
”.
Supplement 1 : Minimal requirements for the self-awareness of robots.
1. The robot should be human - shaped. It means, it should be able to run, jump, swim, scream etc. It allow him to understand what jumping or swiming means (he will record in his memory the patterns of these activities is i.e. meanings of these words).
2. The scheme if its construction, apart of external receptors (eye, ear - like) should include also the internal sensors and “links” (“cables”), which will permanently send information to his “brain!” about the state of the “inner machinery” of his “organism”. It allow him to recognize e.g. the “hunger state”.
3. The neural network of his “central nervous system” (composed, of course from the set if “artificial neurons”,( which are already produced) should be organized in very particular manner which allow “the recall of mental images” of former perceptions (external and internal).
4. Thus, the self - awareness of robots will be reproduced probably by permanent information processing which deal with the mental image of oneself and "shortened" mental images of the world and the quick recall of own biography. The possibility to attach the recall of the image of the object to the actual perception of the object is essential for the recognition that the object is an old one (seen before). The possibility to attach the recall of one-self to the perception of oneself is essential for self-awareness.
5. The particular way of the organization of the neural circuits should consists on the reconstruction of "natural resonant oscillators", which can keep equilibrium, memorize date, recognize an image and recall it in the absence of the external object.
I would like to develop to day the Vernon Vinge’s concept of so called „singularity”. I want distinguish the „week”, „strong and „very strong” appearance of V. Vinge’s singularity, which could be named (according to me rather more precisely „intellectual singularity” (I.S.).
Perhaps the members of this NG will be interested also by one of the most important conclusion of my supplement to the theory of “SINGULARITY” namely that so called “Great Silence” is explained in the cases when the “very strong” or “strong” version of the Singularity will occur .
According to V. Vinge „Cultural (intellectual) singularity will occur about A.D. 2030, especially by reason of new features of the Internet (some news kinds of artificial intelligence) and the progress of nano-technology. It is probable that the SINGUTARITY will destroy the majority of human values, especially such values as: learning, teaching, acknowledgement for scientific achievevements, M.S. degree, Ph.D.degree, fame, many of functions of money . Indeed we are reading on the interesting page, concerned to the progress of nano-technology, accessible under: http://www.inslandone.org/MMSG/9701-05.html , in the article of Tihamer Toth-Fejel ‹ttf@rc.net›sub title: „Population Control, Molecular Nanotechnology and the High Frontier” that (some quot.fragm.): „But psychological issues of overcrowding will most probably become not considerably before we hit the relatively solid resource limits outlined above. This is because the human race will encounter a situation, which Vernon Vinge has termed „the singularity”--a concept that needs some explaining...”:
“It is reasonable to expect the rate of technological progress to continue to accelerate because there are more and more scientists and engineers at work. In Vinge’s vision, the pace of progress will hyper-accelerate when computers gain the raw power of human brains, and when they are as expensive to manufacture as to fund a Ph.D. candidate. Assuming that the doubling time of any technological capability continues shrinking then our civilization’s capabilities will soon thereafter transcend physical limits as we know them. Just as the laws of physics break down in the singularity of a black hole, our current scientific knowledge of the world will break down in The Singularity. When every morning brings a change as shattering as the transition from the Neolithic to the electronic age, we will not longer be able to say anything useful about the future. Vinge envisions that soon afterwards, Homo Sapiens will become transhuman, and then quickly ascend to the next level of existence or something, thereby explaining the Great Silence...”
[see bellow-A.B. ]
„Since it is so difficult to predict what happens at the Singularity, Vinge claims repeatedly that the only way to find out is to live through it...”
„Will you make it to the Singularity? It depends on how old you are and when exactly it will occur. Computers aren’t terribly smart right now, but that’s because the human brain has about a million times the raw power of today’s home computers. Since computer capacity doubles every two years or so, we expect that in about 40 years, the computers will be as powerful as human brains. And two years after that, they will be twice as powerful, etc. To make things even more interesting, computer production is not limited by the rate of human reproduction. So the total amount of brain-power available on Earth, counting humans plus computers, takes a rapid jump upward 2035”.
It is useful for my inference [A.B.] to quote also the fragment of Michel Bauwens’s article „Some thoughts on the relationship between technology and spirituality” accessible under: http://www.Kyberco.com./some.htm
M. Bauwens in the sub chapter sub title „Electric Gaia” is writing that:
„At the creation of the Cosmos, divine consciousness ‘fell’ in a Nature that could not be conscious of itself. Then came life in its various formations, from unicellular, through plants, to animals in their various guises and finally to Man and Woman, uniquely self-conscious beings. Through humankind, Nature and the Cosmos, can become conscious of itself...”
„True, it can be argued that there are Realised Beings who achieved such states of Universal Awareness, but the mass of the people clearly need help. Thus it can be argued that national consciousness could not be achieved without the printing press, and that real planetary consciousness will not be achievable without the creation of worldwide communication networks...”.
„But only now do we have a medium that combines the characteristics of both personal and mass media, that extend every human’s senses and reach of consciousness, to every corner of the world. Traditional mass media were still one way, and so expensive that they could only be operated by the powers that be, while today the fully bidirectional internet can be used as a communication and broadcasting tool by every connected individual. The internet can thus be seen as a tool to broaden our awareness even further and for the first time , it allows mankind to materialise the ‘noosphere’ i.e. the collective mental space where all our cultural exchanges take place. „
„The internet will ultimately evolve to a World Brain, which contains all connected individual brains. This at least is the interpretation of the Positive School. To this school belong philosophers as Hegel, and spiritualists such as Teilhard de Chardin and today, Ken Wilber. Their optimism is shared by many others cyberspace settlers and it helps explain the extraordinary amount of creative and optimistic cultural energy that is generated throughout the internet. Seen in that context, cyberspace is a very important civilizational project. It can be compared to the building of the Gothic Cathedrals that were build to the glory of God and that mobilized whole communities in the late Middle Ages....”
„ Similarly, cyberspace is the creation of a new parallel world. Next to the physical world, mankind is creating a virtual world, a ‘country of the mind’ as John Perry Barlow calls it or perhaps even a country of the Spirit?...”
„There is no denying that cyberspace has magical aspects. Especially with fully-developed VR environments, our minds will be able to travel in worlds that are changeable at will and where our very desires can be materialized..”.
„Indeed it can be argued that to navigate a ‘magical’ space, we will need ‘magical’ interfaces. This was the premise of the legendary hacker s-f novel of Vernon Vinge...”
I am convinced [A.B.] that some kind of „Intellectual Singularity” will really occur about 2030 A.C.
Issac Newton has forseen it also for the year 2030 on the basis of his work on Daniel’s prophecy. The results of Newton’s trials of the interpretation of Daniel’s prophecy, which lasted tens of year are presented in any second of his papers.
„It is as very concrete, practical topic which kind of SINGULARITY will occur ”:
(1) The intellectual singularity can occur in his „very strong” version. In such a case „IT” will destroy the human kind as obsolete.
It will happen if artificial, neural networks really can reproduce all mental activity, including also the phenomenon of consciousness.
Roger Penrose, H. Fröhlich , S.R. Hameroff, J. Sarfatti, Matti Pitkanen and some other physicists postulate that consciousness is based on still unknown quiet original, special physical phenomenon of post - quantum physics realized in microtubules and DNA molecules conceived as engines (chanels) linking 4D time space with Plato realm of intellectual patterns.
If they are right the post-computer machines build on “classic” neural-networks will have no chance to reach the intellectual level of the human brain.
It doesn’t mean that nothing will happen about A.D. 2030. The Internet augment the coupling of people’s brain. The synchronized work of billions of human brains realizes the huge Sheldreakes’s morphogenic field.
Matti Pitkanen, , on his „Internet pages”, accesible under:
http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/~matpitka/index.html presents
the „serious quantum physics, which is well- founded for Sheldreake’s notion of morphogenic fields.
(2) If R. Penrose and Matti Pitkanen has right we will encounter about. A.D. 2030 only the strong version of the intellectual singularity . What will happen then. In such case the „Electric Gaia” will occur! It is, of course a metaphor !
„Electric Gaia” it is the notion denominating the state when all human brain will be necessary, but they will accomplish some task determined on the higher level of the super - intelligence of the „strong singularity”.
The mentioned M. Bauwens’s article oppose so called „negative God - project” which will occur in the case of the „very strong version of singularity” to the future possibility of „Electric Gaia”.
The Electric Gaia case is very probable, taking into account that probably 12 billions of human brains will be on 2030, connected by Internet into one huge super-brain.
I mentioned in my book sub time [„The solar storm is coming” accessible (-unfortunately in my original language only) under:
http://salve.slam.katowice.pl/KSISTORM.htm
that such a planet „wind by communications links, with its routers and servers, creating the additional cyberspace can be treated as the “father” who certainly will send his “son”to another planets of the Galaxy. What will do a “son” on another planets. In my opinion He will organize the physical, chemical, molecular, biological, sociological and technological basis for the emergence of the local planetary internet (L.p.i.) Why?
It seems to me, that local planetary internets (l.p.i) will coalesce into Electric Galaxy.
The electric galaxy will form in the future the nest for super-mind, which with other super-minds will conceive the way of the re-creation of the new time-space. Why? Because super-minds will feel also the unpleasant emotions related to the enlightenment that without their „work and action” the expanding 4D time-space (which is necessary for the real, interesting world of existence and hapenings ) will finish “soon” in cold, spreading out, diffuse, open Universe.
I formulated the idea of the „strong version of the intellectual singularity” already in 1976 in the s-f novel: „Moving units”, which is accessible now (unfortunatelly only in my original language) under: http://salve.slam.katowice.pl/Ewa.htm
I presented also the mathematical, algorythmic and electronic model of the system where sub-units act in concordant way to the superior guiding principle. It is not only the model of brain’s neural networks but also the model of „synchronized” sub-population of people searching in a group for a particular solution. The name of this model is the „equi-me-rec unit” (eguilibrating-memorizing-recalling unit).This model is presented in details (schemes, mathematical formulae) under: http://salve.slam.katowice.pl/phenomen.html
The discussion about it is accessible under: http://salve.slam.katowice.pl/equimerec.htm
It is almost obvious, [ according to me-A.B. ] that in the case of the “very strong “ or “strong” version of the singularity the communication “between aliens” will occur on another, higher level. It means that “all the planet will talk- as a singular subject (entity)” or all the galaxy “will talk as a singular unity”. I proposed formerly the “vision of a possibility- how a planet withits star ) can talk to another planet” under: http://salve.slam.katowice.pl/navel.htm .When the singularity will need ( will master ) all the galaxy its perpendicular jet and the structure as: its magnetic field , the central “black hole” and the accretion disc will perform , probably the task of “aerial” ( antenna ) for communications with - > other “ galactic singularities”
What will happen in 2030 when (a) the very strong version of the singularity will not occur ( when the classic A.I. , based on artificial neural networks will not “catch” consciousness ) and (b) when the R. Penrose or M. Pitkanen physics, supporting R. Sheldrakes notion of „morphogenic fields is not right”(when the strong version is also not true ).
(3) In such a case about the year of 2030 a „week version of singularity” will occure. It means we will observe only the effect of coupling of 12 billions of people by the Internet. The week version of singularity develops in fact progressively already now. This kind of singularity is there already now! by reason of Wiliam Gibson’s novel „Neuromancer” ( Ace Books New York, 1984) and subsequent scientific paper of John S. Quarteman sub title „The Matrix-Computer Networks and conferencing systems worldwide.( Burlington M.A. Digital Press, 1990).
What happened by reason of the acceleration of human thinking by „Internet”.
I think that this known classic phenomenon will be intensified? Namely it is already clear that a group of persons can understand, realize, perform much more then any singular person!
The NG understand more that any of its particular participant : - )
The question arise however who will take this „wisdom” from a NG.
Perhaps the conclusions, elaborated by one NG will be taken (in the future : - ) ) into account by another NG. Till now there are rather fights and complete separation among participants of different groups.
This problem is related to the discussion of three kinds of I.S. , which will occur in the nearest future.
The letter from: Andrzej Brodziak
Former letters in Deja archieves under user names: genia01 and andrzej10
http://salve.slam.katowice.pl/phenomen.html
http://salve.slam.katowice.pl/index.html
http://sites.netscape.net/brodziakandrzej/index.htm
We quote here some short fragments of texts about other people who believe probably also in the possibility of the reproduction of the phenomenon of the consciousness .One of them is Ray Kurzweil. We enclose some information about his book : “The age of spiritual machine - When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence.” http://www.penguinputam.com/kurzweil/index.htm
Imagine a world where the difference between man and machine blurs, where the line between humanity and technology fades, and where the soul and the silicon chip unite. This is not science fiction. This is the twenty-first century according to Ray Kurzweil, the "restless genius" (Wall Street Journal) and inventor of the most innovative and compelling technology of our era. In The Age of Spiritual Machines, the brains behind the Kurzweil Reading Machine, the Kurzweil synthesizer, advanced speech recognition, and other technologies devises a framework for envisioning the next century. In his inspired hands, life in the new millennium no longer seems daunting. Instead, Kurzweil's twenty-first century promises to be an age in which the marriage of human sensitivity and artificial intelligence fundamentally alters and improves the way we live.
The Age of Spiritual Machines is no mere list of predictions but a prophetic blueprint for the future. Kurzweil guides us through the inexorable advances that will result in computers exceeding the memory capacity and computational ability of the human brain. According to Kurzweil, machines will achieve all this by 2020, with human attributes not far behind. We will begin to have relationships with automated personalities and use them as teachers, companions, and lovers. A mere ten years later, information will be fed straight into our brains along direct neural pathways; computers, for their part, will have read all the world's literature. The distinction between us and computers will have become sufficiently blurred that when the machines claim to be conscious, we will believe them.
In The Age of Spiritual Machines, the "ultimate thinking machine" (Forbes) forges the ultimate road to the next century.
Ray Kurzweil is the author of The Age of Intelligent Machines, which won the Association of American Publishers' Award for the Most Outstanding Computer Science Book of 1990. He was awarded the Dickson Prize, Carnegie Mellon's top science prize, in 1994. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology named him the Inventor of the Year in 1988. He is the recipient of nine honorary doctorates and honors from two U.S. presidents. Kurzweil lives in a suburb of Bosto
With these brilliant descriptions of coming connections of computers with immortality, Kurzweil clearly takes his place as a leading futurist of our time. He links the relentless growth of our future technology to a universe in which artificial intelligence and nanotechnology may combine to bring unimaginable wealth and longevity, not merely to our descendants, but to some of those living today."
-- Marvin Minsky,
Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, M.I.T.
"Twenty years from now, predicts Ray Kurzweil, $1,000 computers will match the power of the human brain. Kurzweil offers a thought-provoking analysis of human and artificial intelligence and a unique look at a future in which the capabilities of the computer and the species that invented it grow ever closer."
-- Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft"Ray's technology and ideas have truly been among the sunshines of my life. This book is a wonderful riff on the next century from a keen seer, a great inventor, and a good friend."
-- Stevie Wonder"Ray Kurzweil, peerless inventor of such brain extenders as reading machines, speech recognition, and music synthesis, has now reinvented the book as a luminous synthesis of mind and machine. In a series of witty, ingenious, and profound meditations, he explores the metamorphic moment when machines will attain and then surpass the capabilities of the human brain. This is a book that makes all other roads to the computer future look like goat paths in Patagonia."
-- George Gilder, Author of Wealth and Poverty, The Spirit of Enterprise, Microcosm, and Telecosm
"A sage, compelling vision of the future from one of our nation's leading innovators. Ray Kurzweil brings serious science, common sense, aesthetic sensibility, and a twinkling sense of humor to the question of where we are headed with the machines we call computers. With his pioneering inventions, and his penetrating ideas, Kurzweil convincingly takes us to 'the other side,' in what promises to be the most pivotal of centuries."
-- Mike Brown, Chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market, Former Chief Financial Officer of Microsoft
We draw your attention also to the McKinstry's GAC Project (Generic Artificial Consciousness). See http://www.mindpixel.com
The outline of this scientific project was elaborated by Andrzej Brodziak and Eugenia Piotrowska. It is submitted to the “Partner search – step” of so called “Fifth Framework Programme “ of The European Comunity. The proposal is submitted for the thematic programme : PT2 , IST, “User-friendly information society” –the topic : “Future and Emerging Technologies. http://www.cordis.lu/ist/fethome.htm , e-mail istfet@cec.eu.int
