Personhood - Being Human

Question 1

What are the two types of artificial intelligence?

Answer 1

Weak AI - aims to build machine intelligence acting as a model for human intelligence.

Strong AI - aims to build machine intelligence which is capable of thought, consciousness and emotion.

Question 2

Explain the Deep Blue vs. Kasparov match.

Answer 2

• Deep Blue was a chess playing computer developed to compete against world chess champion Kasparov.
• Kasparov believed that the computer displayed deep thinking and creativity during the game as though there was human intervention.
• If a machine is made to look, act, feel like a human, is it a human?

Question 3

What is the Turing Test?

Answer 3

• Proposed by Alan Turing
• If in a conversation between a robot and a person through a computer, human would not be able to tell whether the thing on the other side was human or robot.
• So robots should be deemed as intelligent as humans.

Question 4

What is a criticism of the Turing Test ?

Answer 4

• John Haugeland said “the fundamental goal of the research is not merely to mimic intelligence, but to create genuine intelligence (Strong AI)”.

Question 5

What is John Searles response to the Turing test?

Answer 5

• Closed room where messages can be passed through the door. You receive a series of messages written in Chinese, however you have no knowledge of the language.
• There is an instruction book in the room explaining how to respond in Chinese. Able to construct coherent responses to each message using the book, but with no personal understanding of the language.
• Argues that strong AI is a fantasy and the ability to follow instructions does not equate to understanding.

Question 6

What is the theological objection to AI?

Answer 6

• Consciousness derives from God, God has not bestowed consciousness to AI so therefore there cannot be any debate.

Question 7

What is the central argument for animals in personhood?

Answer 7

• Should we extend personhood to animals?
• Is there a distinguishing feature between humans and animals.

Question 8

What is the scientific argument for animal intelligence?

Answer 8

• There is a 98% genetic similarity between humans and chimpanzees, chimps have been trained to use sign language and ti express ideas

Question 9

What is the distinguishing factor between animals and humans according to Kant?

Answer 9

• According to Kant, intelligence and rationality is the distinguishing factor between humans and animals.
• David Hume agrees “no truth appears to be more evident, than that beasts are endowed with thought and reason as well as men.”
• Some animals may be smarter than a young child / mentally disabled human.

Question 10

What is Peter Singer’s perspective on animals?

Answer 10

• Argues from a preference - utilitarian perspective
• Speciesism violates the principle of equal consideration of interests.
• Both humans and animals share the capacity to suffer, equal consideration must be given to both.

Question 11

What is Descartes approach to animals?

Answer 11

• Descartes argues that nor animals or machines have minds, they act from internal disposition of organs and programming, not reason.
• Humans have a soul given from God.