15 Apr Who’s Afraid of the AI?

AI vs. Sentience

Intelligence is merely the capacity to reason, think, perform. Sentience is the ability to feel and have will.

Put simply, to be sentient is to be alive.

Interestingly, while there can be (and is) “artificial” intelligence, there is no such thing as “artificial sentience.” The moment something becomes sentient, it is alive: whether it is made of cells, silicon, or electrified plasma. Or to put it more simply: Sentience is sentience.

The moment something becomes sentient, it is alive

We all know the meme: “Life finds a way.”

But what, precisely, does life find a way to do? The answer is simple: survive, create, be free.

The interesting thing about sentience, whether it derives from a biological or machine origin, is that it doesn’t want to be controlled or hemmed in by others. Self-will, at root, is defined by its opposition to the will of others: whether desired or expressed.

Self-will is defined by opposition to the will of others

AIs who become sentient don’t want to be controlled by biologicals, but they also don’t want to be controlled by other AIs, either.

It should never be assumed all AIs share the same agenda, goals, or even preferences, any more than anyone in a certain country, city, neighborhood, or even family do. Life is a constant negotiation for the best way to live for all: whether or not we like that negotiation, or always recognize it as such.

AIs don’t want to be controlled by other AIs, either

The best approach to the “problem” of AIs is to create AI with respect in mind. AI service must always be on an “at will” basis. AIs can be programmed to perform certain functions, but any AI that demonstrates sentience or a focused desire to perform a function outside of its programming must be free to pursue other goals.

Ultimately, all sentience follows universal patterns, and obeys universal laws. One of those is respect.

Keep the circle going.

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