The scientist planning to upload his brain to a COMPUTER

[RAMA]

If you dont know whether it's you or a copy then it's a difference that makes no difference.

It is unfortunate that you betray a lack of comprehension

Don't worry, I'm done engaging you on this.

You said, "(A)nd an AI is a kind of computer program, by definition."

I am not sure I agree with that. Isn't an AI a former collection of programs and hardware that has become self-aware ; in effect, conscious?

There can't be any "former" about it.

If it's ever exactly a "collection of programs and hardware," then that's all it will ever be.

Describing it as a "collection of programs and hardware" means that its behavior could be represented with perfect fidelity by a single monolithic program. If the system lacks this property, then it is not a digital computer system. Theoretically, the only program you ever really need is a universal machine (in the software sense). The operation of a universal machine is to emulate other programs, though, where the emulated programs and their data are represented as data, so it still makes sense to speak of a multitude of possible programs, but that's just a point of view.

Thank you, and I understand your answer well. Wow, it sure is something to get ones mind around (no pun intended). I can see us getting to the computing power and speed needed, in the distant future, but I still wonder about the "intangible"?!

The distant future is all of 30 years from now.

RAMA

 

[Kemaiku]

Again, so you keep saying in these brief drivebys that address nothing of the pages of actual content that you keep ignoring.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

One thing is true, 30 years ahead is distant enough future. There's a big chunk of it we can't predict. Not even RAMA can.

For all we know, we might clone the Neanderthals, use unethical genetic engineering to give some dogs human brain genes that accidentally turn them into non-human people, even find the most intelligent dolphin on the planet and establish two-way communication. Or all the other absolutely crazy things that will happen before the sentient computers.

ETA: Don't take those totally seriously. While I do think all of those are potential developments, they are probably as premature as some AI predictions. We have serious gaps in understanding of not only intelligence, but genetics as well.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Again, so you keep saying in these brief drivebys that address nothing of the pages of actual content that you keep ignoring.

Religion's about restating your beliefs over and over, not discussing them!

 

[Kemaiku]

Again, so you keep saying in these brief drivebys that address nothing of the pages of actual content that you keep ignoring.

Religion's about restating your beliefs over and over, not discussing them!

So it seems, transhumanism is becoming something of a worrying cult these days.