Anika Patel
Imagine a future where artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced so much that we start questioning whether machines can truly be conscious. Will we ever reach a point where we ask ourselves, “Is this machine aware?”
The Turing Test, created by the brilliant Alan Turing, challenges computers to deceive humans into believing they are fellow human beings. With the advancements in natural language models and AI chatbots, machines are becoming increasingly successful at convincing us of their humanity. However, this doesn’t mean they possess consciousness or truly understand the conversations they engage in. Essentially, they receive input, apply algorithms, and generate output that is statistically more likely to please and make sense to the human interacting with them.
In essence, sophistication in tasks, even those we consider uniquely human like communication, does not equate to consciousness. So, how can we determine if AI has truly become conscious?
In a fascinating preprint paper, a team of neuroscientists, computer scientists, and philosophers explore indicators that could suggest consciousness in AI. Drawing inspiration from various theories of human consciousness, such as the Global Workspace Theory, the team examines how these theories might apply to AI.
While the Global Workspace Theory is not explicitly a theory of consciousness, as these processes could theoretically occur without agency, the team suggests that AI meeting the conditions of this theory, including making information from all modules available to the workspace, could be a potential indicator of AI consciousness.
The team also delves into other theories, such as the higher-order theory, which posits that consciousness requires awareness of thought and function derived from higher-order awareness in the mind. If AI demonstrates aspects of this theory, such as the ability to select which inputs to focus on and direct attention to specific information, it could serve as another indicator of AI consciousness.
It’s important to note that the team’s paper is not the final word on the subject. Instead, they aim to inspire further research on consciousness and its implications for AI, whether it arises accidentally or by design.
“One argument for the likelihood of building conscious AI is that consciousness is associated with greater capabilities in animals. Therefore, as we strive for more capable AI, we may inadvertently create conscious AI systems,” the team concludes.
Some influential AI researchers are currently working on projects that aim to enhance AI capabilities by developing systems that are more likely to possess consciousness.
You can access the preprint via arXiv.
