Wanja Wiese ~ Active Inference Insights 016 ~ Consciousness, Information Geometry, Ethical AI
May 6, 2024
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Philosopher and cognitive scientist Wanja Wiese delves into consciousness, self-modeling, and ethical AI. They explore the intricacies of self-models, reflective self-awareness, epistemic agency, and the irreducibility of conscious experience. Discussions also touch on information geometry, belief dynamics, and the challenges of multiple levels of recursion in understanding and controlling systems.
Phenomenal self-models involve conscious experiences of one's body and actions, leading to a sense of agency and ownership.
Minimal phenomenal experience can involve losing temporal or spatial self-locations while retaining control processes and potential attention focus.
Systems with Markov blankets provide a framework for understanding mind and consciousness, but having one doesn't guarantee the presence of a mind.
Deep dives
Understanding Self-Modeling in Phenomenal Self-Models
Phenomenal self-models involve experiencing the body as one's own and actions as one's own. This leads to a sense of agency and ownership that can be affected in various ways. A distinction is made between formal self-models and phenomenal self-models, with the latter involving conscious experiences of one's body and actions.
Exploring the Notion of Minimal Phenomenal Experience
Minimal phenomenal experience may involve losing temporal or spatial self-locations but retaining a potential for control processes. Attention and a sense of being in control or having a potential to change focus of attention could still be present in such minimal experiences.
Linking Markov Blankets to Understanding Mind and Consciousness
All systems possessing Markov blankets exhibit properties relevant to understanding mind and consciousness. The Markov blankets allow interpreting internal states as encoding probabilistic beliefs about external states. However, having a Markov blanket does not automatically imply the presence of a mind; it provides a framework for understanding mental processes through minimizing variation free energy.
Bridge between Life and Mind Continuity
The relationship between life and mind continuity involves self-organizing systems conforming to the free energy principle. The presence of Markov blankets enables interpreting internal states in terms of external probabilistic beliefs. This connection serves as a foundational aspect for understanding the computational processes underlying mind and consciousness.
Implications of Artificial Consciousness in AI Ethics
The podcast delves into the ethical implications of potentially creating artificial consciousness in AI systems. It discusses the challenges of determining the consciousness of artificial entities and the risks of misjudging their conscious status. The conversation explores scenarios where artificial systems may seem conscious but actually aren't, leading to moral dilemmas and potential harm. Additionally, it examines the necessity of establishing clear indicators of consciousness to guide ethical decision-making in the development of AI.
Blue Sky Account and Future Projects
The discussion touches upon the host's Blue Sky account and Twitter handle for further communication. It also reveals upcoming projects, including a book on artificial consciousness to be published by MIT Press. The podcast also highlights the interdisciplinary spring school the host is attending, offering a diverse range of courses on cognitive science from AI to neuroscience. The host emphasizes the importance of continuing research on artificial consciousness and invites listeners to stay tuned for more insights and updates.
You may, at some point during this episode, find yourself self-modelling about your self-model’s ability to model itself in a self-modelled way. If so, sorry. Today’s episode is, indeed, all about selfhood, as well as other phenomenal states, such as the minimal phenomenal experience and AI awareness, as Darius is joined by philosopher and cognitive scientist, Wanja Wiese.
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