Does everyone agree with this?Originally posted by hairyian
Hmmm, the most challenging thing to program......
Once you get to a certain point there is no such thing as a challenging program. The actual programming is no longer hard, no matter what the problem is.
>It's not possible to program consciousness...you can write software to mimic it, but it will never be conscious in the sense that the computer itself will be aware...
yes, thats what you think. but _why_ do you think that?
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"Love is like a blackhole, you fall into it... then you get ripped apart"
>>> Does everyone agree with this?
It is, of course, a totally valid point. If you know exactly how something is done, then programming it becomes just time consuming. Where I would be a little doubtful is in the word exactly. I've been in the business for 20+ years and have never yet seen a requirements specification which was anything like what was really needed.
There is also the matter of it being "challenging to code", (referring to the original question). That to a certain extent, depends upon the ability and experience of the programmer. Some things I routinely code may seem challenging to a 3 month novice for example.
Silvercord:
I agree with *ClownPimp*, eventually you reach a point where x and something mimicing x are indistinguishable.
Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity unto the dream.
Check out Steven Spielberg's movie, A.I.
Fixed it for you. I guess the alternative would be to just leave a half hour before the end. If you did that, it might be a pretty good movie.Originally posted by volk
For the love of all that's good and holy, DON'T check out Steven Spielberg's movie, A.I.
-Govtcheez
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Ok, so what do you have against that movie?Originally posted by Govtcheez
Fixed it for you. I guess the alternative would be to just leave a half hour before the end. If you did that, it might be a pretty good movie.
I dunno - it wasn't bad, but the it should have stopped at the first ending (it's pretty apparent where that was going to be) instead of that into the future crap. Other than that, it wasn't that bad. Guess I was a little harsher than I meant on my quote, but the ending sucked, IMO.
-Govtcheez
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I liked that forward-two-thousand-years-into-the-future part of the movie.
Though it's possible...uhh...obvious they did that so the teddy bear could use that lock of hair.
Are we still talking about consciousness? If so, that still doesn't mean it is conscious. What I am getting at is this: you cannot actually program consciousness, you can only mimic it, but you can never actually create it. If you asked it if it was conscious, it would say "yes", but it wouldn't know that it is a computer programmed to answer "yes" when it's asked if it's conscious. It would just be responding how it was programmed to respond. Even if you can write software to run a humanoid robot, it may be impossible to tell it's not human, but that still doesn't mean it's conscious.I agree with *ClownPimp*, eventually you reach a point where x and something mimicing x are indistinguishable
consciousness is being aware of your own environment and existence. Existence is a state of being. Can a computer ever be aware of its environment and state of being? No, it can only mimic being aware of its environment and state of being. I rest my case potato face.
> I liked that forward-two-thousand-years-into-the-future part of the movie.
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. I haven't seen the movie since it was in theaters; maybe if I saw it again I'd change my mind.
Silvercord: Saying something is "impossible" is a pretty tall statement. I see no reason a computer couldn't be made conscious, given enough time (I mean, I don't think we could do it now, but in the future...)
-Govtcheez
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Let me ask you this: would it still be called a computer if it is conscious? I still think there is a difference between having very high tech advanced software that accurately and convincingly mimics consciousness, and actually having a being that is conscious. If it is possible to create consciousness then the terminator movies just got a heck of a lot scarier.
> would it still be called a computer if it is conscious
What does that matter?
> I still think there is a difference between having very high tech advanced software that accurately and convincingly mimics consciousness, and actually having a being that is conscious.
Of course there is, but that doesn't make it impossible to make a conscious computer.
> the terminator movies just got a heck of a lot scarier.
No, d00d, we still have Arnold and the kid from American History X.
-Govtcheez
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>>> and actually having a being that is conscious.
You are simply a conscious bundle of proteins and miscellaneous other molecules. To return to the point made earlier, if you understood the mechanisms involved completely, there is no reason why you should not be able to code it up.
There may be certain philosophical/theological reservations against calling such a system "conscious", but that is pandering to the primitive in my opinion.
Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity unto the dream.
Why is that not possible?Originally posted by Silvercord
[B]no beege, I'm sorry but that's impossible. Difficult implies possible.
I have a degree in Psychology and a degree in Computer Science and I can't see any reason why the human brain is capable of doing anything a computer cannot.
>It would just be responding how it was programmed to respond
some may argue that us humans respond in much the same way
>No, it can only mimic being aware of its environment and state of being
why is it that being on a computer it is only 'mimicking' awareness. Whether awareness is brought about by bits or by neurons, its still awareness. The 'implementation' doesnt change the end result
C Code. C Code Run. Run Code Run... Please!
"Love is like a blackhole, you fall into it... then you get ripped apart"
