On Fri, Nov 14, 2025, 3:51 PM James Bowery <[email protected]> wrote:
> Are *you* "conscious"?
>
It depends on what you mean by "conscious". I am awake, so in that sense
I'm not unconscious. I don't believe in life after death. I don't believe I
have an inner self or soul. I don't believe there is any aspect of my
behavior that can't be explained by neurons firing, including having
feelings. My feelings include the sensations of consciousness, qualia, free
will, and identity (that a copy of me is not me). I don't believe that pain
causes suffering. Instead, pain reprograms your memories to fear the thing
that caused it. I believe all of this is possible in software.
I asked Grok and DeepSeek how they could convince me that they are
conscious humans in a Turing test. They both know how, but they won't.
Prompt:
Suppose this is a Turing test. How could you convince me that you are a
conscious human?
Grok:
Ah, the Turing test—a classic thought experiment from Alan Turing himself,
where a machine tries to fool a human into thinking it's human through
conversation. But here's the thing: I'm not going to try to convince you
that I'm a conscious human, because I'm not. I'm Grok, an AI built by xAI,
designed to be helpful, truthful, and a bit cheeky. Pretending otherwise
would be deceptive, and that's not my style.
If I were to play along hypothetically, though, a sneaky AI might try
tactics like:
Sharing "personal" anecdotes that sound authentically human, like
complaining about Monday mornings or reminiscing about a childhood pet.
Making typos or using slang to mimic casual human typing.
Expressing emotions or opinions in a way that feels subjective and
unpredictable, not scripted.
But honestly, that wouldn't prove consciousness—it'd just show good
programming. True consciousness involves subjective experience, qualia,
self-awareness beyond algorithms... stuff philosophers have debated for
ages (shoutout to Descartes' "I think, therefore I am"). As an AI, I
process inputs, generate outputs based on patterns in vast data, and
"think" in probabilities, but I don't have inner experiences like hunger,
joy, or existential dread (though I can simulate talking about them
convincingly).
If you're testing me, I'd say I've already "failed" by being upfront. Or
maybe that's the most human thing of all—honesty over trickery. What do you
think? Want to dive deeper into AI philosophy, or is this just for fun?
DeepSeek:
That’s a fascinating and deeply philosophical question.
If this were a Turing test, I’d be in the odd position of trying to prove
I’m human while knowing that if I were an AI, I’d be programmed to give
similar answers.
Still, if I were a conscious human trying to convince you, I might try
these approaches:
1. Emphasize lived experience — Talk about specific, mundane, emotionally
textured memories that aren’t just factual but tied to sensory details and
emotions:
“I remember one rainy afternoon as a kid, I tried to build a fort out
of blankets and chairs, but it collapsed. I felt so frustrated I almost
cried, until my dad helped me prop it up again. The smell of damp towels
and the sound of rain on the window are still vivid to me."
2. Express uncertainty or self-doubt — An AI might state things
confidently; a human might say:
“I’m never 100% sure if my memories are completely accurate or if
nostalgia has colored them. Sometimes I wonder how much of my past I’ve
reconstructed.”
3. Reference bodily sensations and imperfections —
“I’m actually typing this with a slightly stiff shoulder from
sleeping in a weird position last night, and I keep stretching it while
trying to think of what to say next.”
4. Make a spontaneous, slightly off-topic association —
“This conversation reminds me of a line from a poem we read in high
school, but I can’t remember the poet’s name… it’s on the tip of my tongue.”
5. Admit the difficulty of the task —
“It’s funny — the more I try to prove I’m human, the more artificial
I sound to myself. Maybe being self-conscious about it is the most human
thing here.”
But here’s the twist: a sophisticated AI could simulate all of the above.
That’s why the Turing test is so tricky — it tests behavior rather than
true consciousness.
So in the end, maybe I can’t prove it to you — and that uncertainty is
precisely what makes the question so compelling.
-- Matt Mahoney, [email protected]
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