A precise
definition of consciousness eluded humanity forever. As she stood up in the
African Savannah for the first time and took a peak at the star-studded
Southern sky, unobstructed by light pollution, she knew there was something
more than tactical optimization of a narrow objective function that included
food, sex and survival. Consciousness appears to have originated from the
individual abstracting herself from the immediate and visible context. Thus, a
conscious individual will be more prone to abstraction such as art, literature
and music and will be less adept at prescriptive notions as perpetuated by
science and technology. It is likely that the industries that drive the economy
has less aggerate consciousness compared to society.
As "artificial
intelligence," accelerates with a battle being fought on the margins to
make machines, "conscious," the technologists have to understand that
one cannot impart a property to an object without a clear definition of the
property. Consciousness is clearly not appearing, talking and behaving like a
human (or a dog), but rather an ability to abstract. Dogs are likely more
imaginative than most humans and they are possibly more conscious. A narrow
objective function will constrain the originator and most of the world's human
population is struggling to cope. The luxury of time to think is an important
nourishing aspect of consciousness.
Then, a more important question is
whether consciousness is utility enhancing for the individual. A conscious
human being will have a higher level of pain as she attempts to optimize within
a complex and uncertain context. A conscious individual will not limit her
thoughts to countries, religions, races or education. A conscious individual
will not extinguish another, be unfair, seek localization and become
narcissistic. A conscious individual will seek to unite rather than divide,
seek freedom and achieve happiness within a finite time horizon.
Humans do not seem to have very
high levels of consciousness nor do they have a definition for it.
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