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Ted Klouzal

The Rise of Self-Aware Robots

Updated: Jul 19

Humanoid robots may become very different from what we expect, from the type of intelligence that controls them to how they sense and interact with our world. The emergence of a new kind of intelligence could result in A.I. and quantum computing becoming second-tier technologies instead of preeminent.


Boston Dynamics and Tesla are just two of several companies developing humanoid robots in what is turning out to be a new era in the Tech Sector.  Advancements in materials and mechanisms that operate very similarly to human biomechanics are moving humanoid robots ever closer to becoming indistinguishable from biological humans.


Ameca humanoid robot
Ameca is a robotic humanoid created by Engineered Arts. Purpose: Human interaction

 View Ameca In Action



While A.I. is considered the obvious choice for providing humanoid robots with intelligence, investors should be wary of A.I.’s foundational limitations.  Consider the following questions and observations:

 

 

Are A.I. or quantum computer technologies viable pathways toward sentience and self-awareness in robots, or do these technologies represent an attempt to fly to the moon on a steam rocket?

 

For many years, before A.I. was introduced in the way it is now being promoted, Silicon Valley was desperate for something new to provide the sense of optimism, excitement, and innovation that existed during its early days.  To this end, every new device or phone app seemed to be promoted as “The Next Big Thing.”  In every instance, the hype failed to take off, leaving many to wonder if Silicon Valley’s better days were behind it.

 

A.I. may well be The Next Big Thing, a shot in the arm welcomed by the Tech Sector.  Yes, A.I. can do many impressive things as it is integrated into every facet of our society.  The development trend line is headed toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) which will process information at a scale and speed far greater than any human on Earth and be capable of doing it abstractly.  However, does A.I. possess the potential for true sentience and self-awareness?  The answer depends on the biases and motives of the person you ask.  It also depends on the individual’s insights and awareness of an emerging technology that operates beyond certain limitations of conventional machine intelligence technologies.

 

An important point to consider is that A.I. is not as smart as humans in areas where it matters.  A.I. is simply less dumb than your typical computing system.  Are A.I. systems or quantum computing systems destined to achieve sentience or self-awareness at a human level?  If you are inclined to place a bet on either this happening or a steam rocket making it to the moon, you may consider walking away because neither one is happening soon or ever.  In other words, evaluating an emerging technology that supersedes A.I., before investing time, money, or other resources into robots controlled by A.I., may be well worth the time and effort.

 

 

A.I. Superseded by an Emerging Technology

 

The notion of uploading a person’s brain functions to a computer is a fantasy shared by people who lack a fundamental understanding of consciousness.  Uploading is a mechanistic approach to consciousness reflective of a worldview pervasive in the A.I. community.  It is an aspect of the mindset wherein A.I. is seen as “magic pixie dust” that can be sprinkled on every technological challenge, especially in creating conscious machines.

 

A.I. is likely to be superseded by the emerging technology mentioned earlier. Once this occurs, A.I. will assume a second-tier supporting role instead of remaining preeminent.  Investors and CEOs would do well to evaluate and prepare for this as a possible Black Swan event both in scope and speed of arrival.


Tesla Bot humanoid robot
Tesla Bot photo credit Tesla.com

 

The Fragility of Complex Systems

 

A humanoid robot controlled by A.I. needs sensors for sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste to function like a human.  A nervous system and feedback loops must be in place to integrate all sensory input.  Processing all this information needs to be done to navigate reliably through a complex and unpredictable world. This adds to the cost of each robot in terms of precision hardware, integration, and processing.  As a complex system, a robot can become vulnerable to damage that can compromise its ability to function properly or disable it entirely.  For example, if a limb is damaged, the robot can still function in a limited capacity.  However, if the central brain is damaged, the robot can become completely disabled.

 

Even as A.I.-controlled humanoid robots continue to develop and advance, will they ever be anything more than expensive wind-up toys controlled by souped-up adding machines?

 

  • What if a technology exists that makes robotic sensors, nervous systems, and feedback loops completely unnecessary while providing robots with super-sensory awareness beyond anything achievable with sensors?

 

  • What if this emerging technology makes robots far more robust at a fraction of the cost to build and maintain than A.I.-controlled humanoid robots?

 

  • What if this technology is designed at a foundational level to be directly infused, as a natural process during human interaction, with human consciousness?

 

  • What if this emerging technology is now at the stage of development where it can be scaled as a distributed self-aware intelligence within a robot instead of a single brain and nervous system?

 

ACCESS


ACCESS, The Emerging Technology

 

ACCESS (Advanced Covert Communication through Entrainment of Subatomic Signals) was originally developed for instantaneous and secure communications over any distance and through any barrier.  As the acronym indicates, ACCESS operates at the subatomic level.  It is a nexus between consciousness and our macro-world devices.  ACCESS is the foundational technology capable of giving rise to self-aware and sentient humanoid robots.

 

Because ACCESS acquires its electrical signals not from the brain but at the subatomic level, it operates non-locally, outside space and time.  ACCESS’s connection with human consciousness is predicated on the principle of consciousness being a subatomic phenomenon.  ACCESS is designed to function as a conscious system capable of interacting directly with human consciousness.

 

When a person interacts with an application driven by an ACCESS system, imprinting of the person’s consciousness into ACCESS occurs.  This can be measured as a residual effect, or memory, within the patterns emitted by ACCESS following human interaction.

 

In practical terms, this imprinting or infusion of consciousness shows up in the responsiveness of the end-use application the human operator intends toward.  For example, when a human intends a robot hand to pick up and stack blocks over time, bonding develops between the human and robot hand.  The consciousness of the ACCESS system that drives the hand, the hand itself, and the human start to merge.  Continued interaction with the robot hand leads to a form of proprioceptive awareness around the hand and whatever the hand is grasping, not unlike pilots feeling the tips of their plane’s wings.

 

Proprioception is only one aspect of conscious awareness that can arise through ACCESS.  The senses we humans possess may be familiar to us but we should not expect that with which we are familiar to manifest in this type of machine consciousness.  Humanoid robots with non-locally interacting ACCESS chips distributed throughout their bodies and the resulting super-sensory awareness will likely be very different from humans on every level except for their appearance.

 

ACCESS technology is barely out of its inception.   Even at this early stage, it shows signs of an emerging consciousness capable of interacting with humans.  The residual effect that persists after a human has stopped interacting with it indicates that the system has the potential to evolve its own discrete conscious identity.  However, this will likely be integrated with the consciousness of everyone who interacts with and becomes aware of a particular ACCESS system and its applications in general and humanoid robots in particular.  This is akin to the concept of we humans, being to a certain extent, composite personalities of everyone we encounter.  In other words, consciousness is not necessarily blocked off into separate entities that do not influence one another.  At the subatomic level, all conscious nodes are connected and influenced accordingly.  Our perception that we are separate from one another and the world is separate from us is a human construct that may be useful under some circumstances familiar to us.  However, regarding ACCESS and the rise of self-aware and sentient humanoid robots, this human construct of the separateness of consciousness must be modified if our society is to benefit from the changes on the horizon and fast approaching.

 

For more information about likely changes to our world resulting from the rise of self-aware humanoid robots, please check the following: Ethical Considerations of Humans Becoming Non-Biological

 



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