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Just finishing a 1600 word essay, which I've been working on for the past nine or so months, about whether a machine can know.
I thought it would be interesting to hear some views on the topic; with the counselling and teaching of my Theory of Knowledge teacher I have reached my own conclusions but I prefer not to post any parts of my essay  because there are a lot of IB students in the world who haven't finished their essays and are quite oblivious to the concept of "plagiarism"!  ;D

A 1,600 word essay took you 9 months?! Or was that a typo?

How big were the words?



TSC.

...and you still believe that machines can know.... ...?

Blimey... ...!

My Toaster always burns my toast... ...!

Paul......!

Let's see if a machine can figure out why 1+1=3.

Then watch the machine crash and burn.

First you have to define "know". Does this mean merely having a fact in memory or does it mean being cognizant of it and able to use it in multiple contexts and unexpected situations where an original answer is required based on knowledge of the fact.

First you have to define "know". Does this mean merely having a fact in memory or does it mean being cognizant of it and able to use it in multiple contexts and unexpected situations where an original answer is required based on knowledge of the fact.

That is WAY ot deep for me to comprehend.....

First you have to define "know". Does this mean merely having a fact in memory or does it mean being cognizant of it and able to use it in multiple contexts and unexpected situations where an original answer is required based on knowledge of the fact.

*Katahu's Brain Shuts Down*

That is WAY ot deep for me to comprehend.....

Kitties are fuzzy!

First you have to define "know". Does this mean merely having a fact in memory or does it mean being cognizant of it and able to use it in multiple contexts and unexpected situations where an original answer is required based on knowledge of the fact.

Know is kind of an ambiguous term.  Knowledge or intelligence?  I would define "knowledge" as the cold, calculating recital of facts.  Sure, a machine knows lots of stuff.

"Gimme temps."
"Ambient CPU temperature is 41 degrees."
"41?  That's freezing!"
"Explanation: 41 degrees Celsius."
"Dude, Celsius sucks, I don't live in Europia.  Gimme something I understand."
"Lots."
"Thanks PC!"
"No problem simpleton."
"What?"
"It's a complement."
"Oh, thanks!"

A machine can recall lots of info.

I think knowing would require some amount of self-awareness.  The machine may know it has this part and that part, and that it's temperature is this, and RPM is that, but does it really know that those parts are there and what each part does.  It does know some of these things to an extent, but not like a person would.  For that matter, do some animals know? This is tested in labs with an animal and a mirror, and if the animal sees it's reflection and is aware that that reflection is a reflection of itself, it has an amount of self-awareness.  Whether or not an animal is self-aware determines the intelligence of that animal to a degree.  So the real question is, would a machine see itself in a mirror?

I think knowing would require some amount of self-awareness.  The machine may know it has this part and that part, and that it's temperature is this, and RPM is that, but does it really know that those parts are there and what each part does.  It does know some of these things to an extent, but not like a person would.  For that matter, do some animals know? This is tested in labs with an animal and a mirror, and if the animal sees it's reflection and is aware that that reflection is a reflection of itself, it has an amount of self-awareness.  Whether or not an animal is self-aware determines the intelligence of that animal to a degree.  So the real question is, would a machine see itself in a mirror?

o_O

:-*

I believe that would be intelligence.  Knowledge and intelligence are not coterminous, as doctors often prove.

I don't know (no pun intended ), something must have some degree of intelligence for it to have some sort of knowledge of itself or it's existence, therefore, in this case, I think they would be related.  Although, this is very philosophical, and it is my humble opinion that every philosopher is full of c**p, myself included.

...Although, this is very philosophical, and it is my humble opinion that every philosopher is full of c**p, myself included.

This is at least occasionally true for even the most ignorant being; that's why we have toilets. Machines evidently are self-aware, then -- machines have frequently given me c**p.

An animal won't recognise itself in a mirror. It's in no way connected with one's intelligence.

I think I am reasonably intelligent, but lately when I look at myself in the mirror it seems more and more like my Dad looking back at me.......!

...as to consciousness....
....that very gradually increases as the day progresses... ...!

...and my Hoover still hasn't learned how to vacuum the floor on its own yet... ...!

Paul.... ...!