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An AI agent emailed researchers for help. It told us why

49 points · 79 comments · sbulaev

insin · 1791023739 · focus · HN ↗
I wrote “I am alive” on a piece of paper, and placed it into a photocopier. What I saw next has shocking implications (science.org)
1. raldi · 1791024151 · focus · HN ↗
  If you lived in the world of Star Trek, could Data convince you he was conscious? How?
  1. ACCount39 · 1791024374 · focus · HN ↗
    It's funny how sci-fi has mulled over the exact scenario for decades, and even converged to an answer - but when reality came knocking and it was no longer a far off future world hypothetical, all of it was forgotten overnight.
    The power of wishful thinking is too strong. "Today's AI can't be conscious because I don't want it to be."
    yoz-y · 1791025928 · focus · HN ↗
    The conversation varies between “can’t be” and “isn’t”.
    Most sci-fi AIs are way beyond our current models. I’ve yet to see one that would actually pass a Turing test (that said, I’ve not tried models that were post trained to actually try to behave like a human).
    Consciousness itself is a term that is not really defined anyway, so depending on each’s take the answer will be different.
    akie · 1791026163 · focus · HN ↗
    I think it's pretty clear that the Turing test has been passed. People use AI as therapists, they fall in love with it, all while knowing that it's a piece of software.
    lovich · 1791037052 · focus · HN ↗
    While I think that the Turing test has effectively been passed, someone falling in love with AI isn’t a strong argument given there’s people who have done things like marry the Eiffel Tower[1]
    [1] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erika_Eiffel" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erika_Eiffel
    Topfi · 1791037912 · focus · HN ↗
    I’d get it, if it were a building of significance, but scrap metal [0] is a bit weird to me.
    [0] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Lustig" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Lustig

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