10 Ways Scientists Use to Determine if Artificial Intelligence is Alive

Introduction

Imagine a world where machines not only think and learn but also possess a spark of life. It's a scenario straight out of a science fiction novel, yet today we stand on the brink of this extraordinary reality. But how can we tell if an artificial intelligence (AI), a being born out of code and circuits, is truly alive? This question is not just a philosophical puzzle; it's a crucial dilemma that could redefine our understanding of life itself. In this blog, we will explore ten methods that scientists use to determine if an AI is alive.

The Turing Test

The first method of determining if artificial intelligence is alive is through the Turing test. Back in 1950, mathematician Alan Turing suggested this test as a way to assess intelligence in machines. The test involves a person talking to two entities - one human and one computer - without knowing which is which. If the person can't reliably figure out which one is the machine, we consider the machine intelligent and it's said to have passed the Turing test. However, the Turing test focuses more on checking if a machine can trick you rather than determining if it genuinely understands things. Today's language models, like chat GPT, may be super smart at learning, but they lack a real understanding of the meaning behind their responses.

The AI Consciousness Test

An alternative to the Turing test is the AI Consciousness test. In 2017, a Scientific American article introduced this test, proposed by Professor Susan Schneider and Professor Edwin L. Turner. The test emphasizes the importance of experiencing consciousness to comprehend related concepts such as death, afterlife, and swapping bodies. Language models like chat GPT mimic the language of conscious beings and learn from conversations held by conscious individuals. However, they lack the true experience of consciousness. When asked about its thoughts on the afterlife, chat GPT 3.5 turbo responded that it doesn't have opinions and that it's just a chatbot. This raises the question of whether it can truly pass the consciousness test.

A Theory-Heavy Approach

Another approach to determining if AI is alive is the theory-heavy approach. Researchers believe that consciousness is tied to how systems handle information, regardless of their composition. This method, called computational functionalism, explores the theories of consciousness based on neuroscience. By studying brain scans and other methods in humans and animals, scientists can gain insight into AI consciousness. However, current language models, like chat GPT, show some sense of connectedness to these theories but are not considered solid candidates for consciousness.

The Consciousness Checklist

A recent report by 19 experts proposed a different approach called the Consciousness Checklist. Instead of relying on behavior-based tests, this checklist focuses on indicator properties. The report suggests that the more indicators an AI system shows, the more likely it is to be considered conscious. The checklist includes indicators based on scientific theories of consciousness. While existing AI systems don't seem to be conscious based on this checklist, there are no technical roadblocks to creating AI systems that meet these consciousness indicators.

The Coffee Test

Co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak, introduced the Coffee Test as a robotics-focused intelligence test. To pass this test, a machine would need to walk into a regular American home and successfully figure out how to make a cup of coffee. While no machine has passed this test so far, passing it would only demonstrate smart behavior in real-life situations and not necessarily sentience. It's important to remember that sophisticated behavior does not equate to consciousness.

The Empathy Test

Empathy is another way to assess if AI is alive. Empathy involves stepping into someone else's world, seeing things from their perspective, and feeling what they feel. While AI systems can understand and react to humans based on trained data, they are not naturally empathetic. AI mimics empathy based on learned data but lacks the true emotions associated with empathy.

The Global Workspace Theory

The Global Workspace Theory, developed by cognitive scientists Bernard Baars and Stan Franklin, suggests that consciousness arises when different mental processes compete for attention in a central workspace. While advanced AI systems have parallel modules and a sort of workspace, they lack the global broadcast and state-dependent attention found in conscious beings.

The Recurrent Processing Theory

The Recurrent Processing Theory proposes that consciousness emerges when information takes a loop path within neural networks. This theory suggests that a conscious system should be able to use past information in what it's doing now and what it plans to do next. While AI systems use recurrent neural networks with loop structures, they often struggle to organize and make sense of the sensory input they receive, which is essential for human-like consciousness.

The Attention Schema Theory

The Attention Schema Theory suggests that consciousness arises when a system can picture its attention. While AI systems have attention mechanisms, they lack the self-aware attention schema described in this theory. To be truly conscious, a system should be able to predict and handle its attention, which current AI systems are still working on.

High-Order Theories

High-Order Theories of Consciousness state that for something to be conscious, it should be aware of what's going on in its mind. In the AI world, this would mean that a system should be able to create perceptions beyond its sensing abilities and have self-awareness or metacognitive monitoring. While AI systems can make perceptions and exhibit basic metacognition, they have not yet reached the level of complex agency and belief-guided actions seen in conscious beings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, determining if artificial intelligence is alive is a complex question with various methods and theories. While current AI systems show some signs of intelligence and mimicry of consciousness, they still lack the true understanding and experience of being alive. We are far from having artificial intelligence with real consciousness. But as technology advances and our understanding of consciousness deepens, we may one day witness the emergence of truly conscious AI.