Comment by legacynl

7 hours ago

Although I do think they're not conscious (yet). I think the reasoning 'it's just math' doesn't hold up. Intelligence (and probably consciousness) is an emergent feature of any sufficiently complex network of learning/communicating/selforganizing nodes (that is benefited by intelligence). I don't think it really matters whether it's implemented in math, mycelium, by ants in a hive or in neurons.

7 comments

legacynl

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birdsongs  6 hours ago

Agree, I also don't feel they're conscious, or close, but these arguments don't pass the smoke test for me either.

We don't understand how our own consciousness exists, much less functions. You could argue we are a box of (biological) numbers.

I think we just don't know. Because scientifically, we don't. So I'm skeptical of anyone arguing hard for either side and stating absolute facts.

root_axis  6 hours ago

The "it's just math" argument may not be technically rigorous, but it's directionally correct. The unstated reasoning invites us to consider why this particular math would be conscious, but not many other forms of math all around us.

  • throw310822  5 hours ago

    First, it seems you've shifted from "intelligent" to "conscious". "These math operations produce consciousness" is different from "these operations produce intelligence".

    Second, "it's just math" doesn't mean literally "it's a branch of algebra". It means "it's a computable function". So it can be relevant to the discussion only if you think that intelligence is somehow non-computable, and therefore that there are non-computable processes going on in our brain. Otherwise it's a perfectly pointless remark.

    • sarchertech  3 hours ago

      The person you replied to isn’t the one that switched to conscious.

      >non-computable

      Something like 70-80% of all humans believe in a soul or spirit, and of the remainder, many of them are unsure whether human like intelligence can be produced by computable processes.

      So it wouldn’t be surprising that the OP does think there are non-computable processes going on in the brain.

      2 replies →

    • root_axis  1 hour ago

      > First, it seems you've shifted from "intelligent" to "conscious".

      Not true. Take a second look.