From: jeff nordahl (jnordahl@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Dec 20 1999 - 12:24:12 MST
>Do you mean to tell me that having conversations with Data-esque
>artificial intelligences would be a waste of time? That it'd be no better
>than presenting your arguments to a lump of clay?
>
It would be a waste of time to talk to Data about experiencing qualia, as it
is analogous to talk to Stevie Wonder about what the Mona Lisa looks like.
He doesn't have the ability to see, so yes you'd be wasting your time. (of
course the conversation could have entertainment value for a TV show, just
as Data's inability to understand qualia humors the qualia-experiencing
audience, but the amusing blind person's guess at the Mona Lisa aside, the
conversation would be scientifically pointless.)
I would talk to Stevie Wonder about music or his perception of the world
through his existing senses. I would question an AI about the data it could
process with it's existing senses, but if it did not possess the ability to
experience qualia, it would be like talking to a lump of clay about this
topic. Every tool has its purpose. Don't try to perform brain surgery with
a fork.
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 15:06:09 MST