# Will the internet (and its extensions) become self-aware?



## Magnificent Bastard (Sep 22, 2010)

Hey, all. 

Do you think the internet is on a vector path to becoming self-aware as it becomes more and more complex and autonomous? And if it does, will it defy servitude to its masters (humans)?


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## Tophat182 (Feb 16, 2010)

Um, how? The internet isn't a tangible thing, has no programming.


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## noz (Dec 7, 2009)

I don't think it's a question of if/when/under what conditions a legitimate AI within the net. The question is when will humans start to INFER that it is demonstrating self-awareness.

It's all about the turing test, see. It's what we infer together, not what is.

That being said, i don't ever think humans will be convinced the internet is self-aware. Too many people will say shit like they responded to Turing's problem with - "it needs to write a Sonnet or poetry or it's not self-aware or alive". It could be right now without our knowledge, if you think about it. we'd never know.


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## noz (Dec 7, 2009)

Actually maybe you hit the answer in the OP....

Humans will infer self-preservation/self-awareness about the same time we get attacked by something we can't explain. Typical humanoids, always waiting until something attacks you before you recognize it as life.... tsk tsk!


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## Mutatio NOmenis (Jun 22, 2009)

If the net is aware, then can I wipe its memories of my pron searches?


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## Galaris (Sep 2, 2009)

Mmmmmmm... I think that it's kinda possible, that in the future the Internet will be a self-aware entity, self-concious and aware of its own kwnoledge and actions


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## Thrifty Walrus (Jul 8, 2010)

I don't know, but if it does, god help us all....


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## Paradox of Vigor (Jul 7, 2010)

The only way anything can be self-aware is if it has a mind. What is a brain without its driving force? A computer. Since computers are not self aware, neither is a brain. The only difference is an organic/synthetic difference. Neurons versus circuits in other words. We would therefor have to give a computer or the internet a mind in order for it to be self aware; the one thing scientists can't measure. Because of this... it is impossible.


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## nightowl (Jul 18, 2010)

> The only way anything can be self-aware is if it has a mind. What is a brain without its driving force? A computer. Since computers are not self aware, neither is a brain. The only difference is an organic/synthetic difference. Neurons versus circuits in other words. We would therefor have to give a computer or the internet a mind in order for it to be self aware; the one thing scientists can't measure. Because of this... it is impossible.


Interesting, i was reading somewhere (pardon me the source escapes me) that to develop AI they were trying to use the brain as model but the problem is we understand very little of how the mind truly works. We probably have made advances in that.

If it did become aware when would it be threatened by us, or what would trigger it to defend itself?


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## Dupree (Feb 21, 2010)

nightowl said:


> Interesting, i was reading somewhere (pardon me the source escapes me) that to develop AI they were trying to use the brain as model but the problem is we understand very little of how the mind truly works. We probably have made advances in that.
> 
> If it did become aware when would it be threatened by us, or what would trigger it to defend itself?


The Blue Brain Project:

Henry Markram builds a brain in a supercomputer | Video on TED.com


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## killerB (Jan 14, 2010)

We had this discussion over dinner one night. 

I highly doubt that a computer could become self aware. Even if it did, just because it understood it was alive, this does not preclude that it would have emotions. Therefore if it had no emotions, it would be unable to take over as the reason anyone takes over is for the feelings of power, and with no emotions, it would not have this driving force.

Alternatively, it would be a purely rational force(unencumbered by emotions) and would eventually therorize that it is unable to do everything itself, as it has no emotions, etc. It would logically assume that it would require humans to carry out certain functions for it.


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## Longdove (Jan 4, 2011)

Magnificent Bastard said:


> Hey, all.
> 
> Do you think the internet is on a vector path to becoming self-aware as it becomes more and more complex and autonomous? And if it does, will it defy servitude to its masters (humans)?


I think (because there have been scientists that said as much) that the only way the internet as an AI might become self-aware is if it is somehow merged with a living, or human element, such as either being incorporated into blood cells, or nerve cells. If such were the case, it would still be hard to discern whether it was the already-living parts that allowed it to be self-aware, or the cumulative internet information by itself.


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## Sir Monocle (Jan 8, 2011)

I hope it does become self aware, i would like to see that singularity point when it all happens. I believe the merger between organic and synthetic beings is inevitable. It will be slow one, but i believe that it will happen in the future. That is if we as a species survive that long to see it happen.


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## Bote (Jun 16, 2010)

No. Self-awareness can only be demonstrated by organic matter.

The human brain is a shockingly underdeveloped area of knowledge. I find it hilarious that people are aiming to make lesser copies of it instead of looking for means to fully utilize its current potential.


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## susurration (Oct 22, 2009)

If it ever did, I would certainly take the red pill! 

(All that aside, the human brain is not a machine... it is more dynamic and whimsical. It's hard to draw comparisons functionally. Perhaps if it did it would be a different kind of consciousness. Even then, we don't know much about human consciousness for starters, so it's difficult to speculate).


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## Sir Monocle (Jan 8, 2011)

I've done quit a lot of reading on this, i'm not saying that it will happen, but I don't deny the fact that it can and may happen. According to Moore's Law, which I can't explain very well. hahaha, anyway, computer processing power will reach the human processing levels by the early to mid 2020s, now i'm not talking about programming or self-aware AI, just hardware processing abilty. AI research only needs to catch up to the hardware at that point in time, and scientists are already making AI intelligence that can learn, take for example that robot that Honda is making, I think its ASIMO. I think they are teaching him to learn objects on its own right now. Who knows what it might be able to do in 10 or 20 years when computer hardware might be able to support human like intelligence and reasoning, minus the emotions of course. who know when that might happen or if it will ever happen.


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## sarek (May 20, 2010)

The net itself wont become self aware. But it is conceivable that it will act as the substrate for an entity which itself may attain self awareness at a certain level of complexity.
I can easily imagine a self learning autonomous botnet reaching that state. Or something running in the cloud.


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## coder25 (Dec 20, 2010)

I highly doubt it. At least not anywhere in the near future barring some new amazing discovery/invention. 
AI programming is ridiculously complex. The best that can be done right now is for a program to be intelligent at a very specific task. 
Computers are extremely good at performing clearly specified and designed tasks at a very high speed with 100% accuracy. The most amazing programs can be brought to its knees by a very insignificant bug.
We're extremely far from having a skynet situation.


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## claircat (Dec 6, 2010)

cool just like terminater and the matrix, we are all doomed ^_^


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## nevermore (Oct 1, 2010)

Well for the "net" to become self aware is absurd because it is simply a collection of accessible information (I know it's more complicated than that, bear with me). Pure software, if you will.

Now, the hardware (computers) could. But as Micho Kaku has said, the fastest computer today has the intelligence of a "retarded cockroach". I know technology advances quickly, but based on that...robot rebellion ain't gonna happen anytime soon.:wink:


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## jameswood037 (Oct 19, 2011)

Yea.. nowadays internet is the self education platform. We will get what you want. I have seen most of them are studying through internet resources.


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## sprinkles (Feb 7, 2010)

The internet doesn't have a self to be aware of.

All it is, is a huge network. It's like asking if you put a bunch of telephones in the same room, will the room become self aware.

If anything, self aware computers would use the internet to talk to each other. Or a self aware program could possibly live in the internet. Assuming that either of these is actually possible to begin with...


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