[aiethics] Anthropocentric Assumption

[Kim Sullivan]

Alicebot AI Ethics Committee - http://www.alicebot.org




> 1. Consciousness (self-awareness, sentience) exists.

  I'd correct, anthropocentric is that consciousness is inherent only to =
humans
(not even to animals like some people like to think). I think that =
animals are
conscious (self aware) and that computers and machines will be able to =
think of
themselves (self aware) too. Maybe they are self aware even now and we =
just lack
the necessary means to communicate?
  The only way humans determine self consciousness is by induction and
communication: I am self conscious, and I am a human. Therefore, all =
human are
self conscious. When in doubt, we use speech and just ask "are you self =
aware?".
For this reason, animals have long been considered just 'machines' =
(well, in the
christian middle ages, women were considered to be soul-less too...).
  Maybe my processor is self aware too - who knows? I can't ask him. But =
if you
ask Alice wether she is self aware, se replies yes. If we didn't know =
about
computers and how they work and that this response is preprogrammed, we =
would
not question the self awareness of Alice.

>
> 2. > Perhaps the assumption that a bot would be violent enough to kill
> somebody
> > is an antropocentric view in itself.
> >

This may sound weird but I think that the assumtion would NOT be violent =
enough
to kill is anthropocentric too. The whole question of robots killing is
anthropocentric, because we relate it to human behaviour.

> 3. Neural networks are necessary for intelligence.

I agree with that. Just because humans posess a NN and are intelligent =
doesn't
mean that this is the only way.

4. The distinction between humans and animals.
My personal view is that humans are just a particulary stupid kind of =
animals
:-) Go dolphins!

Kim