Building Conscious Artificial Intelligence - Understanding Requirements and Implications

Explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and consciousness in this thought-provoking conference talk that examines AI as both an engineering discipline and philosophical endeavor. Delve into the naturalization of the mind through testable models, investigating mental representations, perception, agency, self-modeling, attention, and systemic psychological models. Learn how computationalist functionalism frames the phenomenology of consciousness, particularly second-order perception and "nowness," while considering consciousness's role in cognitive systems. Examine critical questions about testing for consciousness in AI systems, the potential existence of conscious phenomenology in current AI, and whether consciousness functions as a learning algorithm for self-organizing systems. Consider whether consciousness is a discoverable simple mechanism or a complex system comparable to biological cells, while evaluating how AI experiments can enhance our understanding of biological consciousness. Conclude by addressing the ethical and practical implications of developing conscious artificial intelligence systems.