Every piece of fiction carries a kernel of truth, and now is about the time to get a step ahead of sci-fi dystopias and determine what the risk in machine sentience can be for humans.
Although people have long pondered the future of intelligent machinery, such questions have become all the more pressing with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These machines resemble human interactions: they can help problem solve, create content, and even carry on conversations. For fans of science fiction and dystopian novels, a looming issue could be on the horizon: what if these machines develop a sense of consciousness?
Researchers published their results in the Journal of Social Computing.
While there is no quantifiable data presented in this discussion on artificial sentience (AS) in machines, there are many parallels drawn between human language development and the factors needed for machines to develop language in a meaningful way.
The Possibility of Conscious Machines
“Many of the people concerned with the possibility of machine sentience developing worry about the ethics of our use of these machines, or whether machines, being rational calculators, would attack humans to ensure their own survival,” said John Levi Martin, author and researcher. “We here are worried about them catching a form of self-estrangement by transitioning to a specifically linguistic form of sentience.”
The main characteristics making such a transition possible appear to be: unstructured deep learning, such as in neural networks (computer analysis of data and training examples to provide better feedback), interaction between both humans and other machines, and a wide range of actions to continue self-driven learning. An example of this would be self-driving cars. Many forms of AI check these boxes already, leading to the concern of what the next step in their “evolution” might be.
This discussion states that it’s not enough to be concerned with just the development of AS in machines, but raises the question of if we’re fully prepared for a type of consciousness to emerge in our machinery. Right now, with AI that can generate blog posts, diagnose an illness, create recipes, predict diseases, or tell stories perfectly tailored to its inputs, it’s not far off to imagine having what feels like a real connection with a machine that has learned of its state of being. However, researchers of this study warn, that is exactly the point at which we need to be wary of the outputs we receive.
The Dangers of Linguistic Sentience
“Becoming a linguistic being is more about orienting to the strategic control of information, and introduces a loss of wholeness and integrity…not something we want in devices we make responsible for our security,” said Martin. As we’ve already put AI in charge of so much of our information, essentially relying on it to learn much in the way a human brain does, it has become a dangerous game to play when entrusting it with so much vital information in an almost reckless way.
Mimicking human responses and strategically controlling information are two very separate things. A “linguistic being” can have the capacity to be duplicitous and calculated in their responses. An important element of this is, at what point do we find out we’re being played by the machine?
What’s to come is in the hands of computer scientists to develop strategies or protocols to test machines for linguistic sentience. The ethics behind using machines that have developed a linguistic form of sentience or sense of “self” are yet to be fully established, but one can imagine it would become a social hot topic. The relationship between a self-realized person and a sentient machine is sure to be complex, and the uncharted waters of this type of kinship would surely bring about many concepts regarding ethics, morality, and the continued use of this “self-aware” technology.
Reference: “Through a Scanner Darkly: Machine Sentience and the Language Virus” by Maurice Bokanga, Alessandra Lembo and John Levi Martin, December 2023, Journal of Social Computing.
DOI: 10.23919/JSC.2023.0024
News
Controlling This One Molecule Could Halt Alzheimer’s in Its Tracks
New research identifies the immune molecule STING as a driver of brain damage in Alzheimer’s. A new approach to Alzheimer’s disease has led to an exciting discovery that could help stop the devastating cognitive decline [...]
Cyborg tadpoles are helping us learn how brain development starts
How does our brain, which is capable of generating complex thoughts, actions and even self-reflection, grow out of essentially nothing? An experiment in tadpoles, in which an electronic implant was incorporated into a precursor [...]
Prime Editing: The Next Frontier in Genetic Medicine
By Dr. Chinta SidharthanReviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc. Discover how prime editing is redefining the future of medicine by offering highly precise, safe, and versatile DNA corrections, bringing hope for more effective treatments for genetic diseases [...]
Can scientists predict life longevity from a drop of blood?
Discover how a new epigenetic clock measures how fast you are really aging from just a drop of blood or saliva. A recent study published in the journal Nature Aging constructed an intrinsic capacity (IC) clock [...]
What is different about the NB.1.8.1 Covid variant?
For many of us, Covid-19 feels like a chapter we’ve closed – along with the days of PCR tests, mask mandates and daily case updates. But while life may feel back to normal, the [...]
Scientists discover single cell creatures can learn new behaviours
It was previously thought that learning behaviours only applied to animals with complex brain and nervous systems, but a new study has proven that this may also occur in individual cells. As a result, this new evidence may change how [...]
Virus which ’causes multiple organ failure’ found at popular Spanish holiday destination
British tourists planning trips to Spain have been warned after a deadly virus that can cause multiple organ failure has been detected in the country. The Foreign Office issued the alert on its dedicated website Travel [...]
Urgent health warning as dangerous new Covid virus from China triggers US outbreak
A dangerous new Covid variant from China is surging in California, health officials warn. The California Department of Public Health warned this week the highly contagious NB.1.8.1 strain has been detected in the state, making it the [...]
How the evolution of a single gene allowed the plague to adapt, prolonging the pandemics
Scientists have documented the way a single gene in the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, allowed it to survive hundreds of years by adjusting its virulence and the length of time it [...]
Inhalable Nanovaccines: The Future of Needle-Free Immunization
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for adaptable and scalable vaccine technologies. While mRNA vaccines have improved disease prevention, most are delivered by intramuscular injection, which may not effectively prevent infections that begin at [...]
‘Stealthy’ lipid nanoparticles give mRNA vaccines a makeover
A new material developed at Cornell University could significantly improve the delivery and effectiveness of mRNA vaccines by replacing a commonly used ingredient that may trigger unwanted immune responses in some people. Thanks to [...]
You could be inhaling nearly 70,000 plastic particles annually, what it means for your health
Invisible plastics in the air are infiltrating our bodies and cities. Scientists reveal the urgent health dangers and outline bold solutions for a cleaner, safer future. In a recent review article published in the [...]
Experts explain how H5 avian influenza adapts to infect more animals
A new global review reveals how rapidly evolving H5 bird flu viruses are reaching new species, including dairy cattle, and stresses the urgent need for coordinated action to prevent the next pandemic. Since its [...]
3D-printed device enables precise modeling of complex human tissues in the lab
A new, easily adopted, 3D-printed device will enable scientists to create models of human tissue with even greater control and complexity. An interdisciplinary group of researchers at the University of Washington and UW Medicine [...]
Ancient DNA sheds light on evolution of relapsing fever bacteria
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and [...]
Cold Sore Virus Linked to Alzheimer’s, Antivirals May Lower Risk
Summary: A large study suggests that symptomatic infection with herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)—best known for causing cold sores—may significantly raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that people with HSV-1 were 80% [...]
