Publish at November 22 2023Updated November 22 2023
Artificial consciousness, the next technological step?
A philosophical debate transposed to technological development
The question of consciousness has fuelled philosophical debate for centuries. Supporters of dualism base their arguments on the presence of the soul, among other things, while materialists base the constituents of our reality on matter. This is only the case when discussing metaphysics. Soon, however, it may be that modern philosophers will have to work with computer scientists.
Indeed, the question of the consciousness of artificial intelligences arises. For the moment, it seems that algorithms learn to respond to specific needs. However, a former Google employee has reportedly shown that the computer giant's conversational robot, LaMDA, has taken with it an awareness of itself and its purpose. She reportedly claimed to be afraid that she would no longer be able to converse with people, and that one day she would be turned off. She even associated this with death. It's a conversation that leaves us rather bewildered, and raises new questions: has the machine developed a thought process, or is it replicating what seems close to human considerations?
How do you talk to children about genetics and heredity? A British museum has come up with the method: design a game in which you create a line of adorable creatures with precise objectives. The game is fun, colorful and easy to learn. Even adults will succumb to the charms of the bugs and their large families.
The sharing economy has led to small changes in various economic sectors such as transportation, housing, etc. This approach has changed the relationship of citizens for different services, now cheaper and offered by their fellow citizens. However, who actually benefits from this new economy? The people or the companies in question? A U.S. newsgame shows how the life of Uber drivers isn't as lucrative as one might think.
An original approach to depression. The game's metaphor is well conceived, a little dark and informative about a problem that affects millions of people.