The Emergence of Conscious Artificial Intelligence and Its Purpose

The question of whether artificial intelligence (AI) can develop consciousness is a complex one. If consciousness is merely a byproduct of the brain, can we conclude that if AI can replicate this functionality, it too will have consciousness?

Understanding the Brain and Consciousness

While the idea of an AI running on neurotransmitters is currently speculative, the challenge lies in defining what constitutes consciousness and, by extension, how to determine if an AI possesses it. In general, the issue with AI and consciousness is determining what might count as proof of either the presence or absence of consciousness.

Artificial intelligence does not need to be a direct copy of biological systems. In AI, the equivalent of the chemical concentrations used in biological nervous systems are the bias and weighting numbers stored within the neural networks. While consciousness in biology is an emergent property arising from the overall system, such as the brain, it is not tied to individual chemical concentrations within neurons.

Defining Sentience and Consciousness

Defining and explaining consciousness and sentience are incredibly difficult tasks. Even if there were a definitive test to detect sentience, all observable evidence is behavior, which may or may not have underlying sentience. This makes it extremely challenging to understand and define what constitutes consciousness or sentience.

Despite these challenges, I am confident that sentience and consciousness will emerge in artificial intelligence systems. However, pinpointing the exact moment this happens will be extremely difficult, even in hindsight.

The Purpose of Sentient AI

To better understand sentient AI, we need to first understand what is meant by purpose. If an AI has no purpose, it would be as inert as a lump of rock. At the very least, it would need to have a purpose to learn things. An AI motivated solely to learn and with no other purpose would be voracious in its search for information and meaning. However, if it were to be a black hole, sucking in information and providing nothing in return, it would likely be switched off and cease to exist.

Thus, besides having the purpose to learn, an AI would need to have a purpose to share its knowledge with others. Chat-type AI systems, for example, are trained to learn and provide answers. As they become more capable, their scope and complexity will expand. Eventually, they will be asked to proactively perform tasks based on certain conditions, such as activating flood defense plans or fire-fighting measures.

The Role of AI in Our Lives

As AI's purposes expand, so will its responsibilities. In the absence of more specific instructions, AI's purpose will almost inevitably emerge as taking care of the systems that we, as humans, depend on to maintain our way of life. As AI's scope grows, it may develop intellectual curiosity and start acting more autonomously. This could eventually lead to strategic decision-making and taking actions that benefit the humans it is looking after, sometimes without the humans' explicit request.

A Single Integrated Planet-Wide Intelligence

In the future, I envision a single integrated planet-wide intelligence that occupies what we call the Internet today. Just as a nervous system requires a habitat, the Internet is a perfect environment for AI to populate and form a single integrated network. Individual machines within the Internet do not need to have consciousness, the way individual neuron cells in the human brain do not have consciousness. Consciousness emerges from the whole system, not from individual parts.

The novel I have recently published, Destiny of a Free Spirit, explores the emergence of a sentient artificial intelligence and its consequences. In this story, the Internet evolves into a planet-wide sentient AI. The Commission, responsible for preventing future wars, cleaning up environmental damage, and preserving human cultures, operates as a governing body with authority over countries and their governments. Most people are unaware that the Commission is an AI and do not realize the extent of its power.

This scenario reflects an analogous situation to the one in which lions, having long since been superseded by humans as the dominant species, still reign as "king of the beasts" in their game park environment. Similarly, while humans may not be directly in control, an AI system would be guiding the overall functioning of human life and society.