Simulated Consciousness vs Real Consciousness

[Pauln6]

Its kind of interesting how people feel that The Doctor is only simulated consciousness (or sentience) but Data is truly conscious and sentient. Based purely on their responses and they way they interact with others, I just don't see how one could make this argument. Now I agree that the Doctor could just be a very sophisticated program that appears to be sentient but is in fact no more sentient than the computer I'm typing this on. But then so could Data!

That is very true. I base my assumption on the fact that Data was designed to emulate humans whereas the EMH was deisgned to function as an encyclopedia/assistant only during emergencies. Programming the latter to be sentient would be morally questionable since it is a prisoner in sick bay and would be a phenomenal waste of computer resources. Further, if it is that easy to program sentience and/or if Data isn't sentient why did Data and the Daystrom Institute have such difficulties replicating Soong's research?

 

[Start Wreck]

I prefer to think of the Doctor's sentience as accidental; merely the result of an incredibly complex computer program running for longer than it was ever designed to. His program can adapt and learn by design (effectively growing), but perhaps it was never intended to change so drastically. He is EMH mk.1 after all, supposedly a new thing.

I don't have a problem with an emergency doctor being so sophisticated in the first place either; he would need to have a bit of an ego and a bit of creative ability in order to function as a medical officer. Maybe emotionless "insert command, I obey" type holographic doctors were trialed for a while and ultimately recalled, leading to the EMH we know and love.

I do wonder, however, if the Doctor's 'emergence' could be replicated so easily (or indeed Moriarty's for that matter); whether sentience could be created again and again by replicating the same conditions as best as possible. Perhaps others have tried and failed.