Computers don't think or feel. They are computational devices. The basic building block of a computer's brain is a transistor. The transistor is packaged into either a NAND gate, a NOR gate or a NOT gate. These gates make up everything else in a computer. Mathematics is represented as a function of these three Boolean functions. That the three gates can represent mathematics is not an accident, but a conscious decision on the part of the developers. It was discovered that all basic mathematical operations were achievable through these three functions. It is no wonder then, a machine built with the help of these transistors would be good at computations or at using mathematics.
The way our brain thinks or feels is different from the way it does mathematics. In fact, our computers mimic the way do mathematics and that explains the existence of those gates. Computers have an upper hand over us, just because they carry out our methodology much quicker thanks to the function of gates being tied to the speed of inputs given to the transistors.
Thinking does not feel as stressful or unnatural as computing, and feeling even less so. This should indicate that we compute differently than we think or feel. So, to make a thinking machine, we need to break down the thinking process into its individual steps. If we can do that, we should start basic functions which can be used to represent the whole thinking/ feeling process. Once these functions are developed, we will have a hope of generating machines which think and feel the way we do. This, of course depends on we finding the processes of thinking, being able to represent them as a function of basic processes, being able to design components which replicate these processes and link them in a way that represents the human capabilities. We will also need a new system of 'somethings' (like binary, a system of numbers). Till that day, we will only have machines which fake thinking or feeling, not real Thinkers or Feelers.
We will have interesting situations when machines could think and/or feel. Given how we had to make a computer's computational processes on the lines of those used by humans, will we be able to make our thinkers or feelers very different from us? Can we stop them from having needs and wants of their own? What do we do when this machine does not feel like working? How do you destroy such a machine which does not want to die?
The way our brain thinks or feels is different from the way it does mathematics. In fact, our computers mimic the way do mathematics and that explains the existence of those gates. Computers have an upper hand over us, just because they carry out our methodology much quicker thanks to the function of gates being tied to the speed of inputs given to the transistors.
Thinking does not feel as stressful or unnatural as computing, and feeling even less so. This should indicate that we compute differently than we think or feel. So, to make a thinking machine, we need to break down the thinking process into its individual steps. If we can do that, we should start basic functions which can be used to represent the whole thinking/ feeling process. Once these functions are developed, we will have a hope of generating machines which think and feel the way we do. This, of course depends on we finding the processes of thinking, being able to represent them as a function of basic processes, being able to design components which replicate these processes and link them in a way that represents the human capabilities. We will also need a new system of 'somethings' (like binary, a system of numbers). Till that day, we will only have machines which fake thinking or feeling, not real Thinkers or Feelers.
We will have interesting situations when machines could think and/or feel. Given how we had to make a computer's computational processes on the lines of those used by humans, will we be able to make our thinkers or feelers very different from us? Can we stop them from having needs and wants of their own? What do we do when this machine does not feel like working? How do you destroy such a machine which does not want to die?
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