Blog #4: Robots and Artificial Intelligence

Judging from the graphic novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick and non-fiction text “The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology” by Ray Kurzweil,  I agree that Rachel Eldon was an intelligent being, moreover I also believe that androids will one day surpass humans in intelligence. However, I do not agree with the notion that these artificial beings will be able to possess emotions alike natural and biological humans.

                  In the graphic novel, Rachel Eldon is an android who takes the “Voigt-Kampff Test” which is a fictional representation of the Turing Test, in order to determine if she is an android or a human. The test seeks to examine the individual’s emotions and reactions, particularly the individual’s ability to be empathic. Furthermore, Rachel would have successfully completed the test if it had not been for the last question, which she was unable to answer in a timely and appropriately enough manner that would have defined her as a human. Given the fact, that she nearly passed the test, suggests that her intelligence is not only outstanding and advanced, but is similar to that of a human being’s due to her ability to answer all the other questions asked correctly. Furthermore, the artificial intelligence that was bestowed upon her, allowed her to simulate human functions in an accurate and efficient way. Moreover, the graphics throughout the novel suggest that Rachel is an extraordinary replica of a human being, not only physically but also psychologically, as it can be noted that many of her cognitive skills, such as problem solving and reasoning are fairly advanced, to the extent that it was not evident that she was a robot at the beginning of the novel.

                  Alike Philip K. Dick, Ray Kurzweil takes an optimistic stance in his non-fiction text “The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology”, as he mentions that it is possible to create robots that have a strong AI or a real consciousness like biological human beings. He further discusses nanotechnology, a field which he believes will help further develop the field of robotics and vice versa, “The N revolution will enable us to redesign and rebuild molecule by molecule our bodies and brains and the world with which we interact, going far beyond the limitation of biology”(Kurzweil 203). A statement, which in my opinion suggests that future advances in both fields will eventually yield technology and knowledge that, will allow technology and science to simulate our molecules artificially. Furthermore, the end result of such a scientific breakthrough could potentially be the capacity to produce an exact artificial replica of a functioning human brain, along with its complexities and skills, but with a heightened ability to process and function material faster than that of a human being’s.

                  As previously mentioned, it can be perceived throughout the novel that Rachel Eldon has remarkable human-like characteristics, despite the fact that she is a robot. Such human-like qualities include her coquettish demeanor, her personality, her aggressiveness and self-assurance, as well as her facial expressions, which may ultimately be the result of her ability to perceive what is taking place in her environment. Thus, I do not believe that she had emotions alike human beings, as it was mentioned in the graphic novel that she was programmed with an advanced form of the Nexus-6 program, in addition she was given false memories in order to organize and live her life on the notion that she was an actual human being. Those two significant features allowed her to better simulate human emotions and characteristics in comparison to past android models, to the extent that even her autonomic nervous system which is involuntary, and it also controls the motion of her pupils among other physical reactions, operated on a level alike that of a human's. As David Galernter mentioned in his text “Dream-Logic, The Internet and Artificial Thought”, “Computers grow more powerful all the time. Today programs that are guided not just by calculations but also by good guesses are important throughout the software landscape. They are examples of applied artificial intelligence…and the ultimate goal of artificial intelligence is to build a mind out of software, a thinking computer…a machine with human-like (or super-human) intelligence” (Galernter 259). I believe this notion directly applies to Rachel as she possesses a mind out of a software which allows her to imitate human functions, reactions, and emotions in accordance to societal expectations as well as what would be potentially asked during the Voigt-Kampff Test. It is due to her specific and outstanding programming, that I believe she does not possess a real consciousness, furthermore, the reason why she ultimately failed the test. Since the last question was random, unexpected and absolutely related to empathy, her programming was most likely not prepared or updated for such a task, which contributed to her having to use her other logical skills in order to “solve the problem”, like any other calculation, which then further delayed her output. 

Critical Thinking Blog #3: Tentative research topic: The Promise and Peril of Human Cloning in Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go"

A possible topic for my research paper is the field of genetics and human cloning; I am interested in this topic because Science is a field of study that bases its principles on experiments, research, and evidence rather than the technicalities that involve religious or humanistic beliefs. However, in my personal opinion such theological and philosophical ideas should not be disregarded, when considering the moral and ethical issues that encircle the notion of producing an exact human replica, due to the fact that creating a being whether it may be done in a natural or unnatural manner, would still implicate concepts which we humans as an advanced species have still not been able to completely explicate or understand. Furthermore, I believe that the human brain and its complexities are one of the world’s most intricate mysteries, therefore the artificial creation of one, should not be simply be regarded as any other experiment. Thus, it would implicate concepts that are mystifying such as the existence of the self, the spirit, the conscious, and the concept of emotions in a human clone alike those in an original human being. Moreover, after watching the film Never Let Me Go, based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel I agree that the moral and ethical perils of therapeutic human cloning outweigh the promise of curing diseases through this future technology. My standpoint in this subject is based on the idea that if a genetic copy of the anatomy and physiology of a human can be produced; in particular that of the human brain, then the same neurological and chemical reactions from neurotransmitters that play a role in the psychological and the emotional aspects of a human would play a role in a human clone as well. Therefore, it would be immoral and unethical to regard a clone, as one would deem a microorganism in a petri dish, for the reason that the clone itself is in fact a living and breathing organism with the same capabilities for emotion and thought processing as that of a human being.

Furthermore, in the case of human cloning for the purpose of organ donations, as it is portrayed in the film, entails the question of what exactly differentiates a human clone from an actual human being? Nonetheless what are the necessary qualities or qualifications that define a life to be worthy? Let alone, what would make the life of a clone donor any less valuable than the life of the human recipient? That is to say, there are many questions that should be answered as well as theories and ideas that must be explored before considering such an incomparable leap in scientific research.

Moreover, in the film it is suggested in various instances that these human clones are just like human beings, not only physically but emotionally and psychologically as well. They are capable of different states of emotions, such as empathy, happiness, shame, fear, love, hope, sadness, anger and desperation,  hence it is their ability to feel on a subconscious level that makes the film poignant and at the same time disturbing to know that their lives will be inevitably terminated after they have completed their purpose.

In conclusion, I am looking forward to learning more about this particular topic while conducting research for my paper. Human cloning is a subject that is controversial for various reasons, thus I am interested in reading about different standpoints and opinions pertaining the perils and promises of the foreseeable possibility of such scientific breakthrough.