June 12, 2012 16:42 PSP Book - 9in x 6in 14-Junichi-Takeno-c14
Appendix A
Author’s Response to Reactions to
Discovery News
My conscious robot was introduced on Discovery.com, a Web version
of science television program Discovery Channel, the United Stated,
on December 21, 2005.
Tracy Staedter, Discovery News, reported the piece entitled
“Robot Demonstrates Self Awareness.” (http://www.rs.cs.meiji.ac.
jp/DiscoveryNewsAwareRobot211205.pdf)
Subsequent mentions on the Internet in various languages
followed the appearance of the article all over the world, peaking
two or three weeks after the article was first published. Four months
later, on April 27, 2006, the article ranked second on the list of
Google search results with the keywords “self aware.” The total
number of hits was 132,000,000. At the top of the list was the link
to “self-awareness” on Wikipedia, the famous Web encyclopedia. My
article was also referred to in the Wikipedia article with a link, so
that the article on Discovery News about my robot was actually the
first on the list of the search results as of April 27, 2006. The number
of viewer comments on the article during this period was 29, as
I have confirmed, including those on AboveTopSecret, Engadget,
Stardestroyer, and Zoomby. The total number of words written in
those comments was 69,272 at that time. Even now, new comments
are being added in forums.
Most are negative comments, although there are some positive
ones. I am very impressed with these reactions and have felt the
June 12, 2012 16:42 PSP Book - 9in x 6in 14-Junichi-Takeno-c14
242 Appendix A: Author’s Response to Reactions to Discovery News
need to respond to the opinions. I would like to take this opportunity
of publishing this book and answer some key questions here.
(C1) “See Terminator 2” (Richardlawrencecohen, Chronicles.
Network)
Search for Sarah Connor (Nighty, Therawfeed)
Development of Skynet (Digg.com)
Revolution of sex industry (Forums.overclockers)
Pioneer of robot prostitution (Dvorak)
(A1) Many people who saw the movie Terminator 2 are afraid
of my consciousness system because it could be used to
build self-aware computer systems such as Skynet, and its
machines could wage a war against humans. Of course I
have no intention to create Skynet. On the contrary, we
could possibly deprive Skynet of its power by constructing a
consciousness system in such a way as to produce machines
and robots that are amicable to and useful for humans.
ThedreadfulnessofSkynetliesnotinthefactthatit
“becomes aware of its capability,” but in that a large number
of killing machines obey the merciless order of Skynet
with utmost accuracy. Whether Skynet becomes self-aware
or not, people are afraid of a central control system that
would command invincible and violent machinery. If all
machines and robots are taught to be conscious of humans
positively, they would disobey Skynet’s order to annihilate
humankind and nullify its power. In the movie, Skynet
becomes aware of its mighty power all of a sudden. This is
an “emergent” phenomenon, i.e., the capability is acquired
by itself in the process of its evolution. We cannot fathom
how dreadful it is if an unknown consciousness mechanism
were to suddenly emerge and wield power over us. Even if
humans were allowed to study the mechanism of Skynet,
they might never be able to identify the mechanism by
which Skynet suddenly became self-aware. To overcome this
fear, we need to urgently research human consciousness
using our human wisdom. I also know that hazards always
accompany technological development. For example, knives
are a convenient utensil to process food, but they can be
June 12, 2012 16:42 PSP Book - 9in x 6in 14-Junichi-Takeno-c14
Appendix A: Author’s Response to Reactions to Discovery News 243
a weapon to harm people if misused. Scientists have been
trying to minimize hazards that their technologies might
inflict upon humans. Even airplanes were made up of a
number of dangerous technologies a hundred years ago. But
airplanes have transformed into a safe system through the
wisdom of humans and their development of technology. I
believe that using human wisdom, it is possible to control
conscious and emotional robots within a safe zone for
humans.
As scientists, we are required to elucidate the mechanism
of consciousness and feelings as early as possible because
by knowing ourselves, humans can choose the right path
to a better world by exerting the power of our wisdom. Of
course, we must always be careful and avert the “arrogance
of science” as Nietzsche (Friedrich W., 1844–1900) warned.
(C2) Self-recognition is simply a computer program to achieve a
task. If this robot has a consciousness, my thermostat also
has a consciousness. (Digg.com)
(A2) I agree with the first statement except that my program
implements the task of “consistency of cognition and
behavior.” I believe no consciousness exists in a thermostat
because there is no internal reaction that could comply with
my definition of consciousness.
(C3) I personally would not take heed of this kind of assertion
until such a day when CPUs are designed with a pattern
recognition function with layered neural networks having
the same structure as our brains. (Digg.com)
(A3) The pattern recognition function of my consciousness
system has a layered structure using neural networks called
MoNADs.
(C4) From a philosophical point of view, this has no relationship
with sentience. It consists simply of some program for
identifying itself. (Engadget)
(A4) Consciousness and sentience are different functions. Sen-
tience regarding qualia will be elucidated sometime in the
future. At such a time, it will suffice to connect sentience to
the function of consciousness.
(C5) Do we really need emotional robots? (Freerepublic)
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244 Appendix A: Author’s Response to Reactions to Discovery News
(A5) I use robots as materials for studying humans themselves.
Through the study of emotional robots, we study the
phenomena occurring in the human brain. I believe this is
a necessary study.
(C6) We do not have a method to determine that certain
machines do not have self-awareness. Is self-awareness or
consciousness defined in artificial intelligence or evolution-
ary psychology?
(A6) You are right, and we do not have a perfect definition
yet. But is it meaningless to describe the currently known
phenomena in an effort to eventually arrive at a perfect
definition?
(C7) Are you aware that this is an infinite loop? Can you stop it?
(A7) This very problem is discussed in this book. In essence, it is
incorrect to say that the phenomena of consciousness and
awareness are infinitely recursive. My consciousness system
infinitely repeats a cycle of cognition and behavior, and in
each cycle, the system by itself cognizes its own behavior and
the state of the external environment.
(C8) First, this is not a new robot. The robot shown in the
photograph is a commercially available mobile robot.
(A8) The robot is indeed available in the market. Any other robot
will do if it is capable of moving consistently.
(C9) Human consciousness exists with languages. (Abovetopse-
cret)
(A9) Human consciousness is surely related to languages. My
definition of consciousness includes a reference to “rep-
resentation,” which is, so to speak, symbols or words.
In addition, the representation function learns about the
actual external and internal worlds by combining them via
MoNADs. My robot will be able to converse with others while
being conscious of who is talking using the representation
function in the near future.
(C10) The definition just satisfies the necessary conditions.
(A10) You are right. I might add that the phenomenon of human
consciousness is not yet fully elucidated. This means that
the sufficient conditions are not known. What we should
do now is to describe the currently known phenomenon of
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Appendix A: Author’s Response to Reactions to Discovery News 245
consciousness as objectively as possible. If the time should
come when my paradigm no longer holds up, a new horizon
of knowledge will have opened up before us. As a scientist,
this would be most welcome for me.
(C11) This is self-recognition, not self-awareness. (Digg.com)
(A11) To respond to this comment, I would like to clarify the
difference in meaning between recognition and awareness.
Awareness is related to consciousness, but recognition is not
necessarily related to it. They cannot be differentiated from
each other in the absence of a clear definition of conscious-
ness. I do have a clear-cut definition of consciousness, and
therefore I can differentiate between recognition and aware-
ness. Recognition does not generally relate to consciousness.
Recognition is used for machines as well as humans. When
used in relation to humans, recognition generally means to
fire a representation in the brain. Awareness, on the other
hand, refers to the state in which the brain “knows” that
something is “recognized.” Here, it is necessary to describe
the meaning of “to know.” Knowing means to “absorb” a phe-
nomenon or a state — every detail of it — into oneself. In my
consciousness system, when a representation is established
for a given phenomenon, information circulates between this
representation and other relevant representations in such a
way as to ensure the “consistency of cognition and behavior.”
This scheme describes the phenomenon of “knowing.” My
robot, therefore, can be said to “know,” or to “be aware,” that
it “self-recognizes.”
Additionally, each representation “cognizes the behavior of
the self and that of the other simultaneously.” My robot is a
self-aware robot because it is aware of its own behavior in
conjunction with the behavior of the other.
(C12) Definition of consciousness can really assist in the assertion
of the worldwide somatic state. (laosinfern.blogspot.com)
(A12) I agree. “Consciousness,” as defined by me, can cognize the
self and others by differentiating them. Cognition of the
self means to set a representation by “correlating the self’s
internal reaction (i.e., the internal environment) with the
external environment (i.e., the other).
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