Can machines be conscious?
IEEE Spectrum May 29, 2008 DOI: 10.1109/mspec.2008.4531463 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Soul Upload Consciousness Hang Internet privacy World wide web Personality Computer security Human–computer interaction Operating system Psychoanalysis Epistemology |
| Citations | 134 |
| Key points | Argues that the prospect of mind uploading could lead to the commodification of consciousness, with risks of copying, editing, selling, or deleting one's digital self. |
Abstract
Would you sell your soul on eBay? Right now, of course, you can't. But in some quarters it is taken for granted that within a generation, human beings-including you, if you can hang on for another 30 years or so-will have an alternative to death: being a ghost in a machine. You'll be able to upload your mind-your thoughts, memories, and personality-to a computer. And once you've reduced your consciousness to patterns of electrons, others will be able to copy it, edit it, sell it, or pirate it. It might be bundled with other electronic minds. And, of course, it could be deleted.