Have you ever wanted your robots to be truly alive? Maybe when you were a child watching Transformers or Short Circuit, but probably less so now. Nevertheless, a number of scientists are working to create fully conscious robots.
Conscious devices were a popular talking point of 2022. Last year, an AI ethics advisor claimed that Google’s LaMDA AI was truly alive. However, while the advisor still believes his own claims, Google has shut them down.
Columbia University‘s mechanical engineer Hod Lipson claims that he is creating a robot with full humanlike consciousness. But is this even possible? And what will it entail?
Via The Express Tribune, Lipson believes conscious robots are not only possible but will also be far smarter than humans. In fact, the scientist believes that the technology will finally be able to cure cancer in humans, if it wants to.
The biggest issue with giving robots consciousness is the fact that consciousness is hard to define. Lipson believes that consciousness only requires you to be able to “imagine yourself in the future". However, others believe that consciousness is tied to understanding the world around you with feelings.
Conscious robots will not only be able to think for themselves, but also improve themselves. However, conciseness in the human sense would also mean that these robots would have humanlike-flaws such as bigotry and hatred.
Contemporary AI software already has issues with racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice. For example, medical AI-powered robots have shown bias against people of different races, a huge issue in the medical field. Furthermore, chatbots have consistently been exposed saying controversial, worrying statements.
If full consciousness is added to robots, they will likely be filled with just as many biases. That much is unavoidable.