Statements on Thought

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The Posthuman Manifesto

7. Statements on Synthetic Beings

We already have machines which can learn. However, their abilities are currently limited by the fact that they are logical. As we know, logic is an idealisation which has been developed by Human imagination. Since there a few things less logical in behaviour than Humans any machine which is restricted to using logic as its base will never display Human characteristics.

7.1. Currently the output of computers is predictable. The Post_Human era begins in full when the output of computers is unpredictable.

7.2. All Artificial Life machines that we currently have are hermetically sealed. They are limited by the complexity of the calculations our machines can perform. They are only sensitive to a finite number of stimuli. The quotient of randomness intruding upon them is relatively small.

7.3. Human thought is not a hermetic system. Since we know that the mind, body and environment cannot be separated we cannot rule out the impact of any environmental stimuli on the process of thought, no matter how minute it might seem.

7.4. What is essential to the functioning of Human consciousness is that the mind receives a continuous input of random stimuli from the environment. The human mind has evolved to absorb the unexpected - the discontinuous stimulus.

7.5. We know that it is the complusion to reassert order in the face of random stimuli which generates our sense of Being. Therefore, it is obvious that if we are to create any synthetic intelligence which has a sense of Being which is like that which we recognise in ourselves then it must be sensitive to the same level of random interruption that Humans are. It must have a compulsion to reassert meaning in the face of both stable and unstable input.

7.6. If we wish to produce a synthetic intelligence which displays creativity then we need it to be able to establish connections between its thoughts in a discontinuous way. This will be achieved by making it perpetually sensitive to random stimuli.

7.7. If we wish to produce a synthetic intelligence which displays aesthetic appreciation then it should be able to sense continuity and discontinuity simultaneously - without crashing. Whilst this would cause excitement in the machine it is yet to be determined to what extent it would be pleasurable.

© Robert Pepperell

The Posthuman Manifesto 7. Statements on Synthetic Beings
We already have machines which can learn. However, their abilities are currently limited by the fact that they are logical. As we know, logic is an idealisation which has been developed by Human imagination. Since there a few things less logical in behaviour than Humans any machine which is restricted to using logic as its base will never display Human characteristics. 7.1. Currently the output of computers is predictable. The Post_Human era begins in full when the output of computers is unpredictable. 7.2. All Artificial Life machines that we currently have are hermetically sealed. They are limited by the complexity of the calculations our machines can perform. They are only sensitive to a finite number of stimuli. The quotient of randomness intruding upon them is relatively small. 7.3. Human thought is not a hermetic system. Since we know that the mind, body and environment cannot be separated we cannot rule out the impact of any environmental stimuli on the process of thought, no matter how minute it might seem. 7.4. What is essential to the functioning of Human consciousness is that the mind receives a continuous input of random stimuli from the environment. The human mind has evolved to absorb the unexpected - the discontinuous stimulus. 7.5. We know that it is the complusion to reassert order in the face of random stimuli which generates our sense of Being. Therefore, it is obvious that if we are to create any synthetic intelligence which has a sense of Being which is like that which we recognise in ourselves then it must be sensitive to the same level of random interruption that Humans are. It must have a compulsion to reassert meaning in the face of both stable and unstable input. 7.6. If we wish to produce a synthetic intelligence which displays creativity then we need it to be able to establish connections between its thoughts in a discontinuous way. This will be achieved by making it perpetually sensitive to random stimuli. 7.7. If we wish to produce a synthetic intelligence which displays aesthetic appreciation then it should be able to sense continuity and discontinuity simultaneously - without crashing. Whilst this would cause excitement in the machine it is yet to be determined to what extent it would be pleasurable.

	© Robert Pepperell
	© Robert Pepperell