Re: qualia

jeff nordahl (jnordahl@hotmail.com)
Sat, 11 Dec 1999 18:01:00 PST

>
>jeff nordahl <jnordahl@hotmail.com> On December 10, 1999 Wrote:
>
> >Qualia to me seems to be the experiencing of our own neuro-chemical
> >reactions
>
>So chemical reactions are warm and fuzzy but electrical reactions are
>cold and logical? It doesn't seem likely.

Our neuro-chemical (carried by electrical) reactions are capable of the full spectrum of emotions, warm, cold, fuzzy, logical, etc. The input (perception tools) are standard and uniform for us, but our interpretation of the input data is individual and related to our own associated memories and attitudes. Our qualia is personal.
>
> >(programmed and learned) that are launched by various perceprions.
>
> >what would we use AI's for anyway?
>
>A much better question is, what would AI's use us for anyway?

Why create an AI that would use us? The plantation owners didn't bring slaves over to tell them how to run their cotton business. They brought slaves so the owner could sit on his lazy duff and enjoy his free time and Victorian life-style while they did his work. The problem, was that the slaves were human and had qualia, and didn't enjoy the abuse. They understood it was a raw deal. (I would have been an abolishonist in those days) SO why put qualia in an AI who might rebel against what you ask it to do? No feelings hurt if it doesn't have them. Why give it the opportunity to be lazy, get frightened, or be dicontented? Isn't the push for AI's rooted in creating a machine to do our work/thinking for us? Correct me if I'm wrong.
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> >Qualia is a distraction to getting the job done!!!

>
>The job random mutation and natural selection wanted to get done is
>survival,
>if qualia is just a handicap to that then why did evolution give it to me
>and
>perhaps to you too?

Maybe the job of the human species is not survival. Perhaps our job is rooted in curiosity and discovery. Columbus didn't sail into the vast unknown for survival reasons, (odds were high that he would die on such a mission)he was driven by curiosity, quest, furthur!!! Survival placed second to discovery.

If we plan to go to Mars, a seemingly dangerous trip, should we send a human, or an AI who is capable of collecting the same data? I'd recommend an AI, but if you install qualia in this AI, it will be freaking out and most likely will not want to go due to the threat to its life. It might also get lonely. These emotions and qualia would then get in the way of getting the data collecting job done!!!
>
> John K Clark jonkc@att.net
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