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From: chrisk@gomez.stortek.com (Chris Kostanick)
Subject: Re: Computers--next stage in Evolution Hmm....
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 1995 15:34:57 GMT
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Bob Leitch <yalebob@minerva.cis.yale.edu> writes:

>	Why would an artificial intelligence need to consider itself separate 
>from other artificial intelligences on the network?  Sure, differences 
>will most likely exist (in interests, abilities, etc.), but similar 
>differences exist between the different parts of my mind (my romantic 
>part, my vindictive part, etc.).  Because the different parts of my mind 
>exist within my body, they can touch, they can know and recognize each 
>other as self.  There is no separation in my head like there is between 
>my body and yours.

This is a very interesting point. I'm currently working with fairly
complicated systems that may include as many as 20 different processors.
They are not the same machine running different software but various
embedded controllers running rather autonomously. When I think about the
various controllers they seem like separate things, but this may be more
along the line of arms, hands and feet rather than separate entities. 
Thinking about it I'm not sure where the me/you divide would be for
a heavily networked entity. It would be pretty cool to be able to
connect to another sensor cluster and suddenly have that be part of
your awareness. 

>	Why would an artificial intelligence not view the whole network as its 
>"body"?  To a being that can make perfect copies of itself what use 
>would there be in seeing itself as separate and different from those 
>other copies?  Would it need a social system to organize the individual 
>within the collective?  Or would it just solve that problem by being a 
>collective individual?

I'd guess I'd have to say "I don't know". AIs will probably be rather
different in actuality that we think of them. Maybe the easiest way
is to wait until they exist and then ask them. 

I liked this post a lot by the way.

Chris Kostanick
Jet Car Neutopian, Gourmand, Orthodox Cthulhian

