technology vs consciousness

[dannyday5821]

okay, so im reading this essay...

http://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation. html

and theres one line that im wondering about...

"At our current stage of technological development, we have neither sufficiently powerful hardware nor the requisite software to create conscious minds in computers."

why is this? Is this still the case? (this was written in 2001) Why can this not be a possiblity now? I think we can create a conscious mind with a computer...

[meglet]

Bloody hope not. Haven't you seen Superman III? ;-)

[dannyday5821]

i dont understand why people automatically assume that when/if we can do this...its gonna be carnage...

films like terminator are plausable, even logical to an extent, but that doesnt mean thats how it will happen....

[meglet]

Well, all jokes aside, how do you teach a computer emotion? Or responsibility? We have enough trouble as humans. And the computer will only be as sensitive as it's programmer. Humans have myriad differences.

And even it could be done, what purpose would it serve I wonder?

[jno]

a conscious mind would suggest a computer that was aware of its own existence and perhaps determined to preserve it - like HAL in 2001. I don't believe we've got that far yet, though I could be wrong. It has also been suggested the test of a 'humanised' computer would be if you could hold a conversation with it (written rather than spoken, probably) and not be able to tell it wasn't human. I'm not sure we've even got that far yet, but that would be easier than creating computer 'consciousness'.

[dannyday5821]

i was wondering that...whats the purpose or reason for even bothering to create a conscious mind on a computer...well...im sure theres a plethora of scientists who would jump and say "why not" - and the same applies....why not?

[jno]

yes, I think 'because we can!' would be the answer they'd give to that one