Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ogicse!decwrl!orc!bbn.com!BKort
From: BKort@bbn.com (Barry Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Testing for Machine Consciousness
Message-ID: <59932@bbn.BBN.COM>
Date: 10 Oct 90 17:23:31 GMT
Sender: news@bbn.com
Organization: BBN Labs
Lines: 22
References:<1990Sep29.213139.2876@watdragon.waterloo.edu> <3499@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> <1990Oct4.154655.23004@canon.co.uk> <7@tdatirv.UUCP> <1990Oct8.120927.8648@canon.co.uk>

In article <1990Oct8.120927.8648@canon.co.uk> rjf@canon.co.uk (Robin 
Faichney) writes:

> BTW, I'd still be interested in hearing whether anyone has a test for
> machine consciousness..

I envision the following scenario...

It is near the end of the semester in Professor Moravec's class on 
advanced robotics.  All year long the grad students have labored to 
construct the silicon golem.  As the class sits back to admire it's 
handiwork, the good Professor polls the team on the ultimate question.  
"Who among us is in favor of giving the android consciousness?"

As the students ruminate on the question they are distracted by the 
whirring of gear motors as the robot raises its hand and says, "I am."


Barry Kort
Visiting Scientist
BBN Labs
Cambridge, MA