Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!linus!mbunix!bwk
From: bwk@mitre-bedford.ARPA (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Free Will & Self-Awareness
Message-ID: <30502@linus.UUCP>
Date: 29 Apr 88 13:04:43 GMT
References: <4134@super.upenn.edu> <3200014@uiucdcsm> <1484@pt.cs.cmu.edu>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: bwk@mbunix (Barry Kort)
Organization: International Teleport and Telepath, Beantown, Mass.
Lines: 22
Summary: OK.  Let's call it Artificial Awareness

One of the problems with the English Language is that most of the
words are already taken.

Rather than argue over whether AI should or should not include
investigations into consciousness, awareness, free will, etc,
why not just make up a new label for this activity.

I would like to learn how to imbue silicon with consciousness,
awareness, free will, and a value system.  Maybe this is not
considered a legitimate branch of AI, and maybe it is a bit
futuristic, but it does need a name that people can live with.

So what can we call it?  Artificial Consiousness?  Artificial
Awareness?  Artificial Value Systems?  Artificial Agency?

Suppose I were able to inculcate a Value System into silicon.
And in the event of a tie among competing choices, I use a
random mechanism to force a decision.  Would the behavior of
my system be very much different from a sentient being with
free will?

--Barry Kort