Comment by apk-d
8 years ago
What makes you think a mouse (71M neurons) has agency\free will? Does a cockroach (1M neurons), fruit fly (250K), jellyfish (5k) have agency? I don't think we're gonna get far by relying on a phenomenon that we can't clearly define or even (externally) observe.
Indeed. Human beings have many, many examples to suggest that we lack agency, as well. Why do addiction, obesity, crimes of passion, etc exist?
Without the baggage of the limbic system and dopamine-seeking behaviors, it's quite easy to argue that an artificial intelligence is potentially capable of even greater degrees of agency than humans.
That doesn't mean we lack agency, it just means agency is complicated by other factors. It's not an either-or thing.
Many people overcome these addictions, though.