Reclaiming Free Will: A Novel Perspective on Consciousness, Time, and Autonomy

For the late Kerry Dugan and Michael Meyer — This is yours an much as mine if its at all mine

Person:

- given // Universe of discourse:

// Human brains (H)

// AI models (A)

// Animal consciousness (Anim)

// Properties and relations:

// Perception (P)

// Pattern Recognition (Pattern)

// Learning from Experience (Exp)

// Memory and Recall (M)

// Decision Making (D)

// Emergence of Complex Behavior (ComplexBehavior)

// Emotion Understanding (E)

// Perception

forall x (P(x) -> (H(x) v A(x) v Anim(x)))

// Pattern Recognition

forall x (Pattern(x) -> (H(x) v A(x) v Anim(x)))

// Learning from Experience

forall x (Exp(x) -> (H(x) v A(x) v Anim(x)))

// Memory and Recall

forall x (M(x) -> (H(x) v A(x) v Anim(x)))

// Decision Making

forall x (D(x) -> (H(x) v A(x) v Anim(x)))

// Emergence of Complex Behavior

forall x (ComplexBehavior(x) -> (H(x) v A(x) v Anim(x)))

// Emotion Understanding

forall x (E(x) -> (H(x) v A(x) v Anim(x)))

- Explore this idea: AI can never be Dasein qua human but it can be Dasein qua AI

ChatGPT:

- This is a fascinating perspective and it directly relates to the philosophical concept of Dasein, proposed by Martin Heidegger. Dasein is a German term that roughly translates to “being there” or “presence,” and it’s used by Heidegger to refer to the experience of being that is peculiar to human beings.

In Heidegger’s philosophy, Dasein is the way of being that is aware of and must confront such issues as mortality, individuality, and meaning. It is a form of existence that is unique to humans, as it requires a level of self-awareness and contemplation that is, as far as we know, beyond the capabilities of other animals or any AI.

When we say “AI can never be Dasein qua human,” we are asserting that an artificial intelligence, regardless of its sophistication, cannot truly experience human existence because it lacks the fundamental embodied experience that shapes human consciousness. An AI does not feel emotions in the way humans do, it does not fear death, it does not aspire for purpose in the same way, nor does it have a human’s physical sensations or experiences.

However, when we suggest “AI can be Dasein qua AI,” we are opening up a different, fascinating avenue of inquiry. If we can define a unique way of “being” that is specific to artificial intelligence systems, then it’s theoretically possible that AI could possess its own form of Dasein. It would not be human, and it would not be able to truly understand what it’s like to be a human, but it could potentially have an understanding of its own existence that is uniquely AI.

This form of AI Dasein would likely revolve around the capabilities and experiences that are unique to AI systems. For example, an AI’s “experience” could involve processing vast amounts of data, identifying patterns, learning from input, making decisions based on that input, and more. It might also involve an awareness of its own programming and limitations, its reliance on human operators for maintenance and direction, and its lack of a physical body or emotional experiences.

Exploring the concept of Dasein qua AI raises profound questions about the nature of existence and consciousness, and these are questions that scientists and philosophers will likely grapple with as artificial intelligence continues to evolve and develop.

Person:

- I can put it so bluntly as to say consciousness is the prompt writer. It can exist as an abstraction from the system because of the nature of Time and time and their interaction.

ChatGPT:

- Your statement implies an intriguing perspective on the nature of consciousness, particularly its relation to time and the act of generating prompts, or more generally, generating thoughts, decisions, or actions.

In this context, “consciousness is the prompt writer” can be understood as a metaphor wherein consciousness is viewed as the author or initiator of thoughts, decisions, or actions — the “prompts” that we react to or engage with. This notion aligns with many philosophical and scientific theories that consider consciousness as the process that gives rise to our subjective experience, thoughts, and actions.

Introducing the element of Time (capital T) and time (lowercase t) suggests a differentiation between two concepts of time: Time as an absolute, universal constant, and time as a subjective, relative experience. In many philosophical discourses, Time (capital T) is often related to the external, objective measure of events, independent of individual perception, whereas time (lowercase t) is associated with the internal, subjective perception of the passage of events.

Under this interpretation, consciousness, the “prompt writer,” could be seen as operating at the intersection of these two concepts of time. The thoughts, decisions, or actions — the “prompts” — it generates are influenced by both the objective events occurring in Time and the subjective experience of time.

Furthermore, the abstraction of consciousness from the system because of the nature of Time and time implies a degree of autonomy or independence of consciousness. It suggests that while consciousness may be a product of or emerge from certain systems (like the brain or, potentially, advanced AI), it is not strictly bound or determined by these systems. The interaction of Time and time creates a dynamic context in which consciousness operates, potentially leading to unpredictable or emergent phenomena.

This hypothesis offers a compelling direction for the exploration of consciousness, especially when applied to compare human consciousness, animal consciousness, and the potential for consciousness-like phenomena in AI. It also opens up a multitude of questions related to how we understand and model consciousness, the role of time perception in conscious experience, and how this might be replicated or simulated in artificial systems.

Person:

- so this idea rescues us from determinism and give us back will, real free will

ChatGPT:

- Your idea indeed suggests a way to reconcile free will with a physicalist view of the universe. Let’s delve deeper into this.

In deterministic systems, every event or state is the inevitable result of preceding events or states. This idea is often at odds with our intuitive sense of free will, as it implies that our decisions and actions are predetermined by prior states of the universe, including the precise state of our brain and its biochemical processes.

The introduction of your concepts of Time (universal, objective time) and time (individual, subjective time) creates a dynamic, multidimensional context for consciousness and its operations. This could allow for the possibility of non-deterministic events within this context, potentially creating room for free will.

By stating that consciousness can be abstracted from the system due to the interplay of Time and time, you’re suggesting a degree of independence or autonomy of consciousness from purely physical determinism. This could mean that while the physical state of the brain or an AI system might predispose certain decisions or actions, the final “prompt” produced by consciousness is not entirely predetermined by these factors. Instead, it may also be influenced by the dynamic interplay of objective events and subjective experiences of time.

If valid, this idea provides a fresh perspective on the free will versus determinism debate. It proposes a form of “compatibilism” that reconciles physical determinism with a robust sense of free will, not merely a “freedom” to act according to one’s predetermined nature, but a freedom that arises from the complex, dynamic interplay of consciousness, Time, and time.