Artificial Intelligence

Ali Margulius- 0520627

January 30th, 2007

Dr. Woodcock

Philosophy 100-F02

Word Count: 1,180

A Robot In a Conscious World?

Artificial consciousness, which can also be referred to as artificial intelligence (AI), aims to define whether or not engineered artifactsÐ'--such as robots, can be synthesized to be a thing of conscious entity. The debate for AI has endured throughout the philosophical community for many years and still remains unanswered. Despite this fact, John Searle and William Lycan are two philosophers that have attempted to resolve this issue by debating the consciousness of robots. While Lycan thinks that there is a definite possibility that robots do attain conscious thought, Searle is more apprehensive to this notionÐ'--which is outlined in his thought experiment: The Chinese Room Theory. The example that we are given is a robot named Hal that was created by a women named Susan in her garage; through observing their conversation we are able to observe Susan's struggle in regards to whether she thinks Hal is a conscious being or not. The notions that Hal is a conscious entity endures throughout their conversation and like most debates with reference to AI remain unresolved. Being a conscious entity encompasses more then just being able to respond to a computer program, and due to this fact I think it is nearly impossible for robots, such as Hal, to be a conscious entity.

The problem that we are introduced to in this scenario is that of whether or not Hal is a conscious entity. Throughout the dialogue between Hal and Susan we are able to detect the curiosity that Susan has towards figuring out whether or not Hal is responsive and able to think in a qualitative way. It is difficult to decide whether or not Hal actually does have states of consciousness because if we were to see him walking down the street then physically he would look like a human being, and in addition when he states things like this: "It is certainly possible for that to be true, but I give you my word that I actually have conscious mental states. The only evidence I can give you of this fact is the same evidence that humans give you," it makes the concept even more controversial. Hal attempts to reassure Susan that he truly does have conscious thoughts yet Susan still remains apprehensive throughout their dialogue. Despite the fact that Hal appears to be thinking and connecting with the human brain it is still absurd to think that he is a conscious entity.

To think that Hal is a conscious entity really puzzles my mind. My instant reaction when I think of a robot is that in which I have perceived from watching movies when robots have bright lights shining while they walk and talk. When I look more in-depth into the concept of robots being conscious, I think that there is more then just being able to respond to a computer that makes something a conscious being. The main concept that troubles me is that robots are constructed and built by someoneÐ'--which is clearly portrayed through the example of Hal, so how could we as intelligent human beings think that this robot is a conscious creature? The answer is simple, we should not. Furthermore, John Searle uses the example that just because robots can follow certain computational process does not mean that the robot has an actual understanding of the events and processes that are occurring. This concept is illustrated in his Chinese Room Theory where an individual receives a piece of paper marked up with Chinese writing from under the door and despite the fact that the person does not understand Chinese, he continues reading the it due to lack of other things to do. Searle then continues to say in his essay "Minds, Brains, and Programs," that "syntax does not imply semantics," (307) and by this he is further reinstating that just because the robot can follow certain rules does not mean that they are processing what is going on. In addition, later on in Searle's essay he talks about the concept of an automatic door knowing when to open due it understanding instructions from its photoelectric cell, does this automatic door also have a conscious entity? Just like an automatic door, what about a car or a calculator, do these things have conscious thoughts?