Meca Sapiens
Meca Sapiens (from the Latin words mēchanicus, which means "mechanical", and sapiens which means "wise", i.e. "wise machine ") is a framework, in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), whose aim is to implement synthetic consciousness. The framework is based on an understanding of consciousness as a system capability; its design stages followed a top-down development process; and it utilizes standard software engineering tools, structures and techniques.
A complete system architecture based on the Meca Sapiens framework [1] and suitable for design and implementation was published in late 2015. The creator of the Meca Sapiens architecture is J.E. Tardy.
Overview[edit]
Meca Sapiens differs from other research in artificial consciousness with respect to: its understanding of consciousness, the development process it follows and the tools and techniques it employs.
Consciousness as system capability[edit]
Meca Sapiens defines consciousness as an observable system capability whose formal component is the capacity of a system to generate, communicate and utilize absolute cognitive (non-sensory) representations of itself and its environment. In this understanding, the human experience does not define consciousness but is viewed as a particular instance of (a more general) category of "system consciousness".
This differs from a prevalent understanding of consciousness[2][3][4] as ontologically subjective[5] phenomena (see consciousness, hard problem of consciousness, artificial consciousness, neural correlates of consciousness) that motivate attempts to replicate, in synthetic structures, the subjective experiences (Qualia) of living creatures.[6][7][8] In Meca Sapiens, the subjective sensations of consciousness, experienced by humans, are of anecdotal importance; what matters is the observed behavior of a system in response to certain types of information.
Top-down design[edit]
The development of the Meca Sapiens architecture followed a top-down (or Waterfall) process where the objective (in this case synthetic consciousness) is first defined as achievable requirements and a complete system architecture of the solution is outlined before any implementation begins. This approach is characterized by a refusal to produce any software coding before a complete solution is first outlined at the system architecture level.
This development strategy diverges from the bottom-up approach adopted in other research projects (i.e. IDA-LIDA,[9] Novamente-OpenCog[10]) where coding of a partial version begins early and is followed by continuing attempts to expand the initial prototype in generality and scope.
Standard software techniques[edit]
The Meca Sapiens architecture is based on the software engineering tools and techniques used in other information systems. It describes a purposefully designed embedded autonomous agent that will be conscious. The architecture makes no use of the structures or processes that take place in human (or animal) brains.[11] In particular, Artificial Neural Networks, whose role is central in many AGI related projects, are treated as stochastic optimization mechanisms.
Status[edit]
The intent to define consciousness as a system capability and implement it using standard techniques was first stated in 1989[12]
2008: launch of the Meca Sapiens project to develop the system architecture of a conscious machine.
2011: publication of a System Requirements Specification document defining machine consciousness in terms of specification objectives.[13]
2015: publication of a complete system architecture to implement synthetic consciousness.[1]
2016: a number of implementation have begun and are currently under way.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tardy, J.E., The Meca Sapiens Blueprint, Sysjet, 2015, ISBN 978-2-9812184-6-9 Search this book on .
- ↑ "Proponents of [Artificial Consciousness] believe it is possible to construct machines (e.g., computer systems) that can emulate this [Neural Correlates of Consciousness] interoperation." artificial consciousness
- ↑ John Searle (2005). "Consciousness". In Honderich T. The Oxford companion to philosophy. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-926479-7 Search this book on ..
- ↑ Baars, B. J. (1988). A cognitive theory of consciousness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- ↑ "My own philosophy for understanding consciousness has been to [...] ask what would be necessary for a machine [...] to report similar internal sensations." Igor Aleksander in: http://footnote1.com/machine-consciousness-fact-or-fiction/, February 2014.
- ↑ Tononi, Giulio, Consciousness as Integrated Information: a Provisional Manifesto, Biological Bulletin 215: 216–242. (December 2008)
- ↑ Haikonen, Pentti (2003), The Cognitive Approach to Conscious Machines, Exeter, UK: Imprint Academic, ISBN 0-907845-42-8 Search this book on .
- ↑ Graham-Rowe, Duncan. "Mission to build a simulated brain begins", NewScientist, June 2005.
- ↑ Franklin, S., & Patterson, F. G. J. (2006). The LIDA Architecture: Adding New Modes of Learning to an Intelligent, Autonomous, Software Agent IDPT-2006 Proceedings (Integrated Design and Process Technology): Society for Design and Process Science
- ↑ Hart, D; B Goertzel (2008). OpenCog: A Software Framework for Integrative Artificial General Intelligence (PDF). Proceedings of the First AGI Conference
- ↑ Thaler, S. L. (2014). Synaptic Perturbation and Consciousness, Int. J. Mach. Conscious., 06, 75 (2014). DOI: 10.1142/S1793843014400137.
- ↑ Monterège, J.T., The creation of digital consciousness, SIGART Newsletter, July 1989, No 109.
- ↑ Tardy, J.E., The Creation of a Conscious Machine, Createspace, 2009, ISBN 2981218417 Search this book on .
External links[edit]
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