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Consciousness Creep
Article

Consciousness Creep

Our machines could become self-aware without our knowing it. We need a better way to define and test for consciousness

George Musser
Aeon, 2016
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Eye Opening
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Have you ever thought your electronic device might have a mind of its own? Science writer George Musser suggests that, far from being paranoid, you might be onto something. He presents the idea that machine consciousness won’t look like a human’s, so people may not recognize it when it happens. In fact, it may already have happened. He adeptly describes the technology behind two options for measuring consciousness and explains the pros and cons of each. Musser goes on to outline the problem of detecting “zombies” – that is, “dumb” machines that are good at looking like they are conscious and adaptive. getAbstract recommends this stimulating read to technophobes and technophiles alike.

Take-Aways

  • If a machine becomes conscious, humans won’t necessarily be able to tell.
  • It’s important both ethically and for mankind’s safety that humans can detect if machines are self-aware.
  • Some tools for detecting consciousness in machines already exist, including ConsScale and the Integrative Information Theory.

About the Author

George Musser is an author and a contributing editor for Scientific American.

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