Yes the “meaning” part of the equation is more open to interpretation, but I took it because the equation needs to be simple. I like your description of how story comes into play, story’s an important meaning-making device.

Robots will also have that choice to make, but will they need to? Will a robot have boundaries? Even if the robot processed an angry emotion, will he need to express it? Will he have a need for self-preservation? … What IS sentience anyway? Is it the formula above? Are humans even sentient?”

Excellent questions. I don’t have easy answers. :P

Honestly, I think a much more feasible Singularity will occur with humans surgically replacing organs with robotic ones, eventually the brain being one of those organs. These people will probably be used to solve complex problems very quickly or even used as super-soldiers.

It would be totally human to try and “upgrade” like this, both in helpful and harmful ways.

I thought of this blog when I recently read some Nietshce who talked about the Uber-mensch– the Super-Man, (or the Over-Person to be gender neutral). He really believed that humans were a bridge to a more evolved form of perfect beings. As I read this, I immediately thought, “He’s talking about robots!”

What a weird parallel! I get wary when people talk about perfect beings… because it usually means… unemotional. The last time I read Nietzsche talk about the Super-Man, I kept seeing the parallel to Neo. Next read, I’ll look out for robots. :)

The biggest problem with this equation is “Meaning” because meaning comes about in so many ways. I’m a story guy and I like to think about storylines to movies and novels, about what succeeds and what doesn’t. When I get a thought, which comes to me through any of my 5 senses, a story plays out in my head about that thought. “Story” is the best word I can describe it as, and then meaning is derived from that story, much the same way we derive meaning from a movie we’ve just watched. That meaning then gives me an emotion. If the movie sucked, I’ll feel bad. If the movie was very sad, I’ll cry. If it was funny, I’ll laugh out loud. And so on.

I take meaning from the world through creation of stories. Even a person’s appearance will tell me a story that I’ll get an emotion from.

But the emotion still remains to be expressed once it is felt. That is a choice. You can choose to internalize or externalize the emotion.

Robots will also have that choice to make, but will they need to? Will a robot have boundaries? Even if the robot processed an angry emotion, will he need to express it? Will he have a need for self-preservation?

Honestly, I think a much more feasible Singularity will occur with humans surgically replacing organs with robotic ones, eventually the brain being one of those organs. These people will probably be used to solve complex problems very quickly or even used as super-soldiers.

It’s hard to imagine a through and through robot gaining sentience. What IS sentience anyway? Is it the formula above? Are humans even sentient?

There’s a brand new book I just heard of today on the radio called “The Hidden Brain.” The author suggests that not even humans are totally self-aware!

I thought of this blog when I recently read some Nietshce who talked about the Uber-mensch– the Super-Man, (or the Over-Person to be gender neutral). He really believed that humans were a bridge to a more evolved form of perfect beings. As I read this, I immediately thought, “He’s talking about robots!”

Thanks Melissa for putting that story in my head :)