InterestIng experiment - but it raises some ethical questions

[Kinvig]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090326/tuk-uk-scientists-grow-a-living-human-br-45dbed5.html

According to Yahoo, so take it with a pinch of salt, scientists have created a basic brain/nervous system in the lab.

Part of me thinks, this is *soo* cool. But another part of me thinks that if a brain is grown will it attain a consciousness, however rudimentary. If so despite being artificial, it should have rights, shouldn't it?

Then extrapolating further I got thinking about AI. I imagine that there's a load of scientists working on this somewhere - running simulations on a computer. If they create an AI - do they have the right to turn the computer off at the end of a day (i.e. for a patch/upgrade) if there's a consciousness in that machine - surely it has the right to live...deus in machina.

[Swin]

I've seen this article on TV too - as far as I can see, it's not actually a brain as such, it's a bunch of cells that mimic the way other cells work, but if it should progress to a certain point then I agree with you, it raises ethical questions

Stephen Hawking once posed a similar theory about computer viruses, should they be treated as a form of life or not.

Thought provoking stuff!

[Dave20046]

Stephen Hawking once posed a similar theory about computer viruses, should they be treated as a form of life or not.

Thought provoking stuff!
You're going to have to expand on that or I'll have to have fits of laughter.

[Swin]

can't find the whole article because it was a while ago, but this is a bit of it (as much as I can get without them flogging me another article) :o

quote
COMPUTER viruses should be treated as a life form, Stephen Hawking, the British physicist and leading theorist on the origins of the Universe, has told an audience of computer enthusiasts in the United States.
In a speech on the nature of life, Professor Hawking said computer viruses fit standard definitions of living systems, even though they have no metabolism of their own. The computer virus exploits the metabolism of the host computer it infects, and becomes a parasite. This parasitic existence is a key characteristic of biological viruses, as is the ability to replicate only inside the ...
unquote

This quote is from encyclopedia.com

[SoulKiss]

Frakkin Skin Jobs

[Dave20046]

can't find the whole article because it was a while ago, but this is a bit of it (as much as I can get without them flogging me another article) :o

quote
COMPUTER viruses should be treated as a life form, Stephen Hawking, the British physicist and leading theorist on the origins of the Universe, has told an audience of computer enthusiasts in the United States.
In a speech on the nature of life, Professor Hawking said computer viruses fit standard definitions of living systems, even though they have no metabolism of their own. The computer virus exploits the metabolism of the host computer it infects, and becomes a parasite. This parasitic existence is a key characteristic of biological viruses, as is the ability to replicate only inside the ...
unquote

This quote is from encyclopedia.com
oh dear, would we get 'coders for justice' and the like?

[Paul the 6th]

Stephen Hawking once posed a similar theory about computer viruses, should they be treated as a form of life or not.

Thought provoking stuff!


think he'd soon change his tune if he picked up a trojan whilst running a firmware update on his mobility controller unit

[Dave20046]

think he'd soon change his tune
I don't think he can paul

[Paul the 6th]

you never heard of the "Tourettes trojan.jar"? Affects text to speech style applications by causing them to output profanities at amplified levels.

"My eyesight means a f*cking lot to me you ******"

[Milky Bar Kid]

This is a very philosophical thread........bit Platonian, I think therefore I am!

But, how would you define conciousness? Is conciousness the thinking process or is would you say it had acheived a level of conciousness if it was able to function?

[Swin]

I don't think he can paul

You not listened to MC Hawking - Gangsta Rapper?

Top quality funny

[Kinvig]

This is a very philosophical thread........bit Platonian, I think therefore I am!

But, how would you define conciousness? Is conciousness the thinking process or is would you say it had acheived a level of conciousness if it was able to function?

Who should define consciousness - you all may yet be figments of my imagination. If I think I have consciousness, it could be argued that someone elses subjective judgement of whether I have attained consciousness is irrelevent.

Though another thought concerning AI occurs - if an AI is created and it attains consciousness - who "owns" it? The people that devloped it? Can you copyright a soul (for want of a more fitting word without religious connotations)?

[Paul the 6th]

This is a very philosophical thread........bit Platonian, I think therefore I am!

But, how would you define conciousness? Is conciousness the thinking process or is would you say it had acheived a level of conciousness if it was able to function?

oh no, how longs it going to be before someone mentioned the "brain in the vat" theory? think i might watch the matrix tonight..... :)

[Baph]

AI, my speciality. :)

The definition of conscious, is awareness: having knowledge of (surroundings especially, usually self too).

On this scale, plants are conscious, as they adapt to their environment, and when you cut a leaf off, that leaf will re-grow, and the plant will actually prioritise healing pretty effectively.

I can write applications that any layman would perceive as being aware of it's environment, but it's entirely reactionary.

That's how I see these cells, they react to their environment, nothing more. To my knowledge, they haven't defined a priority to their actions, and that's considered the first step to being self aware.

[the_runt69]

quote
COMPUTER viruses should be treated as a life form, Stephen Hawking, the British physicist and leading theorist on the origins of the Universe, has told an audience of computer enthusiasts in the United States.
In a speech on the nature of life, Professor Hawking said computer viruses fit standard definitions of living systems, even though they have no metabolism of their own. The computer virus exploits the metabolism of the host computer it infects, and becomes a parasite. This parasitic existence is a key characteristic of biological viruses, as is the ability to replicate only inside the ...
unquote

This quote is from encyclopedia.com

If thats the case the common cold, Flu and even HIV could be classed as life forms and allowed to exist, I dont think that could be good at all.

[Kinvig]

I dont think that could be good at all.

Ahh but being human, as these germs affect you, you're not an impartial observer!

From the germ's perspective it may be living off us like we're living off the earth - it may not think it's doing anything wrong.

[the_runt69]

Ahh but being human, as these germs affect you, you're not an impartial observer!

From the germ's perspective it may be living off us like we're living off the earth - it may not think it's doing anything wrong.

Doesnt stop us trying to wipe them out though

[Milky Bar Kid]

This could get deep....and go on forever!