Discussion Has anyone else got a deep sense of existential dread when it comes to just how hellish life truly is?

[Deleted member 22624]

That's definitely a huge worry that we need to consider. I expect, or at least hope, that the companies producing AI will take rigorous steps to ensure their robots never attain consciousness, but you never know, it's definitely a possibility - they might produce it accidentally, before we have even classified consciousness properly. Imo, they have no right to do that, and it kind of defeats the main purpose of AI - to be servants for us without any moral qualms. We'll see what happens, I truly hope the CEOs don't let their greed get the better of them, and the technologists don't get too carried away.

Then it won't be long before AI has better rights than we do in some cases

 

[Bigpink]

AI might have better access to CTB than we puny humans

 

[Superdeterminist]

Then it won't be long before AI has better rights than we do in some cases

That would be a mistake I think because all conscious systems should be treated equally from a moral standpoint, but knowing humans it's absolutely possible - we're still happy to euthanise pets but not so much our own. It would be unfair, although I'm not sure if it would be possible to grant them too many rights - the value of consciousness is too great for that imo (as long as those rights didn't exploit us or other conscious agents). Could there be a higher form of consciousness achievable by AI and not by us, that would warrant affording them more rights than we as humans deserve? I doubt that, but it's another question to consider.

 

[Meditation guide]

I'm in a barely controlled panic over being alive in this hell. My heart races all the time from it.

 

[Superdeterminist]

AI might have better access to CTB than we puny humans

Now that would be tragic. I would be happy for them though - all conscious things deserve an easy way out of this game, a game which can be so cruel at times. Another question to consider: can you have consciousness without suffering? If you can, then that's a huge burden of concern relieved regarding the creation of conscious AI.

 

[Good4Nothing]

I define consciousness as sentience - an awareness of self.

Most organisms are basically robots, doing what they're programmed to do. Fish, insects, plants, bacteria.

Some are more self-aware, and experience similar emotions to us. Dogs, cats, porpoises, whales.

All organisms have a sense of awareness of what is happening around them, and most organisms experience physical pain. Those are necessary for survival.

I think if a being can experience joy, or sadness, or shame, then it is conscious.

 

[Deleted member 22624]

I define consciousness as sentience - an awareness of self.

Most organisms are basically robots, doing what they're programmed to do. Fish, insects, plants, bacteria.

Some are more self-aware, and experience similar emotions to us. Dogs, cats, porpoises, whales.

All organisms have a sense of awareness of what is happening around them, and most organisms experience physical pain. Those are necessary for survival.

I think if a being can experience joy, or sadness, or shame, then it is conscious.

I think of consciousness as something more basic - not awareness of self necessary, but just the ability to be aware. There must be a minimum amount of it, and when for example an insect or even bacterium looks panicked, my instinct tells me that's pain. I wonder if it is a CNS that's necessary, even.

How do you test for awareness, anyway, you can't! The Turing test only tests for human mimmicry, nothing can peer inside the human brain to tell if there is a soul behind the machinery

 

[EmbraceOfTheVoid]

 

[gus.nixon]

The Conspiracy Against the Human Race is a fantastic read, it felt like home.

I agree 100% about this book.

 

[fishtacos4me]

I don't even have words for it. This world is just so unnecessarily harsh.