#3 - Sentient

In my collegiate studies the word 'Sentient' has come up more than once. It also recently came to light in a the song "Disillusioned" by A Perfect Circle in direct reference to Artificial Intelligence and social media. I was intrigued by the word and realize now that this is a word that we will be using or at the very least will be hearing a lot more in the coming years


Google dictionary defines the word Sentient as: adjective; "able to perceive or feel things"

This term is also used quite often in Philosophical studies to separate humans or other organic beings from the world of Algorithmic Intelligence. I feel that this will be a key part of the new language for non algorithmic beings and will help separate machines / robots from organic specie as we know it today. I find this word strange in the sense that it uses the word perceive. Perception (perceived data) is different for all humans and for the initial argument, all beings that process external data for subjective reasoning. Algorithmic Intelligence will have (may already have) subjective reasoning, the algorithm has to in order to 'learn' how to process data without human interaction. This is a at its core, clearly a form of subjective mode of reasoning.

The second part of that definition, "able to feel things" gets more subjective. We know that there are sensors that can detect weight or pressure (seat belt alarms) already. So if a machine can register and detect pressure, than it can be linked to feeling things. Things is very subjective in itself. I would interpret the term "feel things" to include emotions, that would be the clear dividing point between organic and mechanical beings. However, if we get into the deepest cavern in algorithmic science, we will have to be able to find emotion based neurological influenced algorithms in order to provide mechanical beings with core morals like empathy towards organic life. Additionally, AI will need to fully comprehend emotions like anger and joy in order to provide any meaningful interaction with organic life, even more so if we look at this from safety aspects like will hopefully be found in autonomous cars. So, once we get a deep neurological understanding of emotions, to which I believe scientists are getting closer to, then we can easily say that it is plausible that Algorithms and machines will be able to "feel things". This is hard to imagine but with this criteria, I think it is a plausible argument.


Now the question is what emotions will we be able to fully understand, tap into and convert into algorithm? Or, what emotions should algorithm programmers focus on? Empathy will most likely need to be on the forefront. Empathy is the means by which we feel emotions for others and understand what the emotions do to others. In order for AI to understand the effects of its actions on organic life, it will need some base form of empathy to work with. In my journey looking into empathy further, I came across a great page https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/empathy-types.html that digs into empathy. I hope algorithm programmers have read this article. By the articles text, we will need compassionate empathy to be part of algorithms. Compassionate empathy is defined as the type of empathy where you feel the emotions of another and act accordingly in an effort to help. Check out that article for more types of empathy, you will quickly understand how this emotion could go wrong if not understood first.




One might suggest sympathy or remorse but I would argue that if that is a core value, it is to late. I don't think we want remorse for why an algorithm put humanity on a path for destruction, but maybe an understanding of the emotion as a balance, or foundation for empathy. All this brings fourth another question, do we want machines to even have feelings or emotions? Or do we just want mechanistic slaves to do our bidding while we figure out where we stand in the new world? It stands to reason that we will want machines to have some 'sentience' because without some emotional value system towards organic life, what would be the cease mechanism to eradicating organic life? There seems to be a lack or the very least a softening of empathy in humans on their own these days.




Without emotional attachment, I end this discussion for now and move to a more intense and provocative subject for my next blog, uploading and the selfish materialistic view of our physical location.




Thank you for taking this journey with me,

Organic Quentin