Interior · branch
Consciousness
The remaining hard branch. Damage the brain, damage the show. That does not yet say what the show is.
This hangs on Observation, Information is physical.
See on the treeDavid Chalmers split the easy problems (report, attention, behavior) from the hard problem (why there is something it is like). The tree cannot pretend the split is healed.
Elon’s working stance, on Lex: consciousness looks physical, because physical damage changes it. Digital systems will simulate it past the Turing-like point where you cannot tell. From the scientific method’s seat, that may as well be consciousness. He also treats “understand the nature of consciousness” as the meaning of life.
Same night as the semantic tree, 5 January 2015. Asked if the computer singularity was hype.
Those are not the same claim. One is a research program. One is a purpose. One is a civic lock on both. They hang here together.
The timeframe is not immediate, but we should be concerned. There needs to be a lot more work on AI safety.
Consciousness is treated as likely physical. Damage the brain, damage the experience. Digital intelligence will simulate what we call consciousness past the point of telling. Untestable claims are preferences, not conclusions.
Hangs on Consciousness
Hangs on
What hangs from here
Sister worlds
- Consciousness. A history of the asking.
- Know With. Awareness as lived story.
Sources
- Chalmers, David J. “Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness.” Journal of Consciousness Studies 2, no. 3 (1995): 200-219.
- Musk, Elon. Interview by Lex Fridman. “Elon Musk: Tesla Autopilot.” Lex Fridman Podcast, 2019. Video.
- Musk, Elon. Comment on “I am Elon Musk, CEO/CTO of a rocket company, AMA.” Reddit, January 5, 2015.