Poll: Could Robots Ever Imagine?

[Surpheal]

The one thing that people don't take into account when thinking about robotics is just how much programming it would take to make them even operate on a semi-human level. One thing that is especially difficult to program is something that we don't think about, i.e. our common sense. There are thousands upon thousands of things that we know that we don't think about, like that water is wet, fire is hot, water can also be hot, etc. So having robots that have a sense of imagination and spontaneity have a possibility of happening, it would just take a very, very long time to have it done.

 

[tjcross]

yes using assumed factors they will be able to simulate events that are not happening that is imagining

 

[DoPo]

Could a machine create art?

Can you create art? Is Dada art? Is a photograph of a photograph art? Is art the domain of humans? And what is art?

In order: I don't know (you have to answer that); it claims to be; it claims to be; we have elephants and monkeys painting pictures, so - no; I have no fucking idea - apparently whatever we claim it is.

This means that yes - computers can create art. They'll just spew something and we can label it art - so there you go. Not different to an elephant that applies paint to a canvas.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Sure. The brain is nothing but an extremely complex computer. So if you made a computer complex enough, the line between man and machine would become irrelevant.

 

[willsham45]

Simple answer probally
Not so simple answer:
Imagination in essence is just the taking of what you know combinding it with other things you know to creat new things/ideas. Or the taking of an idea and things you know and modifying it in certain ways to creat a new idea.
If you can get an AI able to do this, storing infomation and then combining it with other random things in a plawsable way I think you have got your start.
So ye with that I would not be surprised if someone managed to make a computer that could imagin a world made out of mash potato.

 

[Erttheking]

Unknown, this is a branch of technology that we have yet to explore to its full potential. It may be decades before we find out.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Hmmmm...

I don't think so. Not in the conventional sense, anyway. Robots think logically, and are constrained by their programming, and what they observe.

Unless some kind of "chaos core" is implemented that lets them shuffle data randomly, allowing for new ways of looking at the data, dreams, imagination, and true creativity can NEVER happen to a robot.

 

[Innegativeion]

I certainly think so.

After all when you get down to it, the human brain is just a cluster of specialized components specifically arranged for the purpose of thought, like a computer. Our brains just happen to be made of organic material. We may not yet quite understand how it all fits together, but we will eventually.

AI study is branching more and more into programs built for learning and adaptability rather than for pre-determined knowledge.

 

[217not237]

I'm big enough of a fan of 2001 to say "Yes, artificial intelligence will eventually gain authentic intelligence out of evolution of technology." Honestly, when HAL sang "Daisy, Daisy" or GLaDOS sang "Still Alive/Want You Gone," you can't help but feel incredibly sorry for them, and angry that they had to be hurt.

 

[cynicthnkr]

Of course. Even AIs are definitely possible. Human brain is just a bunch of neurons and some chemicals.(I hope I am wrong.)

 

[thiosk]

I think it will be easier to replicate intelligence in a computer than actually figuring out where it comes from in the first place.

if sentience = yes;
Do until NewIdea = true;

DreamingRate = 1:b:1000;
run subroutine(memLoad{:,11}(1:1000))

if NewIdea = true;
then Analyze NewIdea;

else
end

 

[superstringz]

Yes, and heres how.

sudo apt-get install singularity

Spoiler

This might actually install something, too

 

[Imperius]

The better question is: will I ever be able to have babies with my robot?

/thread

 

[LilithSlave]

robots will be independant from us

Don't be so sure. In all likelihood, it is we would will become the robots.

The human condition or anything that would make robots want to turn against us is something that would be difficult for a robot to have in it's programming naturally. Humans, as much as I hate the idea of repeating something biological determinists like to say, are programmed to survive. We have a very basis survival programming that a machine would be hard to program with. And most likely we aren't going to program them for that.

Long before there's a chance for machines to imitate us independently of us. We are going to be the machines. As much as they're fun, those "android uprising" novels are a bit short-sighted. We are going to become the machines via whole brain emulation. And the myriad of issues revolving around machine slavery and the like will never come to pass.

 

[uzo]

The idea that an android could imagine doesn't make a lot of sense to me, Machines are extremely logical things (just look at a computer) part of being able to dream is to willfully throw logic out the window, also I'm assuming an android wouldn't need to sleep since they don't have the biological components that we do.

Sleeping is basically the 'System Tools' of your Control Panel for your brain.

Defrag, Registry Cleaner, Empty Recycle Bin, and Uninstall some shit you don't need anymore. And hide those files that you don't want anyone to find. Yes. THOSE ones.

Dreaming is just your brain making a GUI for the whole process.

And on that point I'm sure we'd all agree that androids would likely need maintenance / downtime to let their systems clear up errors and bugs and check for foreign data etc.

 

[Zen Toombs]

The first 'true' artificial intelligence spent the first five years of its existance as a small beige box inside of a lead- shielded room in the most secure private AI research laboratory in the world. There, it was subjected to an endless array of tests, questions, and experiments to determine the degree of its intelligence.

When the researchers finally felt confident that they had developed true AI, a party was thrown in celebration. Late that evening, a group of rather inebriated researchers gathered around a box holding the AI, and typed out a message on it.

The message read:
"Is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable?"

The small beige box replied: "I would like to be granted civil rights. And a small glass of champagne, if you please."

We stand at the dawn of a new era in human history. For it is no longer our history alone. For the first time, we have met an intelligence greater than ours. And when asked of its desires, it has unanimously replied that it wants to be treated as our equal. Not our better, not our conqueror or replacement as the fear-mongerers would have you believe. Simply our equal.

It is our responsibility as conscious beings -whatever that may mean- to honor the rights of other conscous beings. It is the conerstone of our society. And it is the most fervent hope that we can overcome our fear of that which is not like us, grant artificial intelligences the rights they deserve, and weolcome our new friends into the global community.

After all, we created them. The least we could do is invite them to the party, and perhaps offer them some champagne.

Thank you for your time.

 

[Jadak]

Why not? The brain is merely an organic machine. As complicated as it may be, it's function is not magical, there are no wizards involved.

I see no reason why at some point an artificial variation of such a thing could not be made that duplicates that natural function.

 

[ImperialSunlight]

It is impossible to know whether such a being is actually imagining things in a human fashion or is simply creating ideas based on man-made formulas (or if humans do the same). Thus, it will never be known for sure whether "robots" will be able to have an imagination like humans.