Music Philosophy Art Math Chess Programming and much more ...
by
Marek Wojnicki
Hello, my name is Michał Tal and I will tell you my amazing story. One day I discovered that everything I believed in was just fiction. How did I come to this conclusion? You will probably be surprised, but thanks to the movie "The Matrix". This film changed everything in my life and what I hide, became the cause of my death.
But let's start from the beginning. Not so long ago, there was a philosopher in town X who searched for his place in the world all his life, until he discovered that this world does not really exist, but is only a computer program creating a fiction of reality, or "The Matrix". Even though Morpheus did not call me, I didn't have to choose between a red and a blue pill, but my story is quite extraordinary anyway.
Thanks to my studies of the philosophy of reality, Buddhism, artificial intelligence and the concept of truth, I discovered who I really am, what kind of world I really live in and what it means to be human.
Apart from being a philosopher, I am also an amateur chess player fascinated by the match between the world champion Garry Kasparov and the computer program Deep Blue. As you can see, my interests, although as diverse as philosophy, science, artificial intelligence, chess or epistemology and theory of reality, ultimately led me to learn the truth about myself and the world in which I live.
After studying philosophy, I started working in cognitive science, cybernetics, chess programs and artificial intelligence. Although I was never strong in programming, I was still able to conduct philosophical research on artificial intelligence, the aim of which was to pass the Turing test and become a "man-machine". I took this title from the work of La Mettri, although I might as well have titled it "Demiurg ex machina" or "Demon Laplace".
But never mind. Let's get to the heart of the matter. So, starting my research on metaphysics (being represented by reality, i.e. the 20th century post-war world), epistemology (theory of cognition), theory of mind (consciousness and unconsciousness) and artificial intelligence (in particular chess programs and conversational programs that were to pass the Turing test)
I ran into many issues that remained unresolved. Although there were many different answers to the questions I asked, they were only hypotheses that could be more or less refuted or declared unfalsifiable, as Karl R. Popper would have described them.
By an interesting twist of fate, I found a book by Jan Markowicz called "Eclectic: Demiurg ex machina" in an antique shop, which drew me into alternative worlds and the incredible adventures of its heroes: Jan Markowicz, Demiurge Orfell Nocturnus, members of the "Suicide Club" (Herezjasz, Aristokrates , Stypiona and many others) and the demonic alter ego of Jan Markowicz known as Markbet. So, as you can see, a lot of extraordinary events took place in my life.
Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere, it surrounds us on all sides. Even here and now. You see him looking out the window and turning on the TV. You feel when you go to work or church, when you pay taxes. It is a world that has been placed before your eyes to obscure the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Morpheus: That you are a slave. Like everyone else, you were born in chains. In a prison you can't feel or touch. In prison of minds. Unfortunately, it is impossible to explain what the Matrix is. You have to find out for yourself. " (quoted from "The Matrix").
One day, the philosopher Michał Tal discovered the truth about himself and the world in which he lives. The reason for this discovery was the film "The Matrix" and the book by Jan Markowicz "Eklektyda: Demiurg ex machina", as well as research on artificial intelligence, which he conducted at the Institute of Philosophy and Science at the University of Oxford.
When the philosopher Michał Tal conducted the Turing Test by talking to the program and assessing whether it was a human or a machine imitating human consciousness, he made a surprising discovery.
He began to wonder about the question of how to distinguish human consciousness from machine consciousness?
A machine with all the necessary data about the world, such as weather forecast, results of a football match, the latest discoveries in the field of cosmology, as well as having a pre-programmed personality and consciousness (including human self-awareness), is practically indistinguishable from a human being.
So how are we to distinguish between man and machine? Without knowing that you are a machine, can you live as if you were an ordinary person? Or maybe the only difference between man and machine is that man is a biological entity and a machine is a mechanical entity?
Wouldn't artificial intelligence with human consciousness become human? The philosopher Michael Tal was thinking about such issues.
One day, when he searched an online database, he discovered that the University of Oxford had created the PhiloSophist program to pass the Turing Test.
Strangely enough, the philosopher who conducted research on artificial intelligence began to wonder about the essence of humanity. What does it really mean to be human? Does it mean to think self-consciously? "Cogito ergo sum"?
What if we only think that only humans are capable of abstract thinking? What if animals and machines were capable of self-discovery and culture creation?
Could we then think that man is an exception to the universe in terms of the process of cognition, learning, or self-awareness? Do we differ from machines only in the fact that we are biological entities, or is there something that makes us unique?
How is it possible that a machine without self-awareness was able to win a chess match against the world champion and one of the greatest chess players in history, Garry Kasparov? But this fact does not mean that the machine "thinks". Data analysis doesn't mean thinking yet.
However, the internet, which is a global database, with the experience and knowledge of all mankind, can constitute "collective consciousness". Would artificial intelligence supported by an internet database and having a programmed human personality, identity and self-awareness as a human being human?
Or maybe a biological factor determines our being human? Or if we deny it, is it our spiritual realm? Can a machine believe in God? Can it consider its creators to be Gods? Or maybe faith is something specifically human, inaccessible to machines? Hard to say. What if the program can also imitate faith in God? Would then the machine on the level of the mind be different from the human?
All right. Let us also consider another important point: semantics. Is the machine able to grasp the entire complexity of human speech, with its ambiguity, irony or context? Would a machine be able to write stories, poems, novels?
Would a machine be capable of creating art? So many questions without unambiguous answers that need to be resolved taking into account the goal of creating a "man-machine".
Indeed, Michał Tal had something to think about when designing a machine that was to pass the Turing test. The longer he devoted himself to creating a program that imitated human consciousness, the more it seemed to him that he was crossing the line between human existence and the program itself.
He felt as if he were on the verge of a remarkable discovery, though he wasn't sure yet what it was. His interests in anthropology, metaphysics and semantics were to lead him to answers about the nature of reality, consciousness and self-awareness.
Although he knew that many of these issues were beyond the bounds of knowledge, he did not lose hope that he would make a groundbreaking discovery that would secure him a place in the history of science.
His research project on artificial intelligence was primarily aimed at creating a machine with human consciousness, capable of abstract thinking, creativity, work and play, thinking and creating, higher feelings and thoughts.
So not only was it to be a human mind, but also to have all human qualities. So the goal was to create a new human that would exceed the abilities of homo sapiens.
The next step in evolution was to be made by a machine with human consciousness."What does" real "mean? How can you define "reality"? If you talk about what you can feel, what you can smell, taste or see, reality is just electrical impulses interpreted by your brain. " (quoted from "The Matrix").
You are probably wondering what is so extraordinary the philosopher Michał Tal discovered, which changed his life and self-awareness forever? We'll get to that. I don't want to reveal too much for the reader to think about.
Now we turn to the philosophical considerations on the nature of man. What is man? Is he an animal, or is he superior to animals? Different philosophers have given different answers to this question.
Descartes believed that man as the only being is capable of abstract thinking, predicting the future or self-reflection. In his opinion, animals, unlike humans, are not capable of creating culture and self-awareness.
Do we have the right to infer from the fact that we create culture and art, language and science that animals are mentally incapacitated? We may differ in the degree of consciousness, but we are not qualitatively different in this respect. Animals also display intelligent behavior.
When I recently told you the story of the philosopher Michał Tal, our hero was engaged in research on the Turing test, i.e. creating a program that imitates human consciousness.
It just so happens that, considering the possibilities of how to program a machine not to differ from a human in terms of consciousness and personality in order to overcome the Turing Test, he concluded that the best way to pass the test is to program the machine so that it does not know itself. that he was a machine, but all the time she thought he was an ordinary man.
Then he came to a shocking conclusion: What if I am just such a machine that only considers itself a human, and in fact is only artificial intelligence?
Does the fact that I have high mathematical skills, photographic memory and above-average body resistance to all external factors, as well as outstanding achievements in strategic games such as chess, not mean that I can be a machine with human consciousness?
What if it's just misconceptions resulting from burnout, a midlife crisis, delusions that are a harbinger of a mental illness, or some other mental disorder? Maybe we should take a vacation and see a psychologist?
However, wouldn't that be an escape from the problem that is at the heart of my research? Is it even reasonable to say that you are a machine with a human identity? Unfortunately yes. This possibility cannot be ruled out. But then what? How would the discovery of such a "truth" affect my further existence?
Well, there will always be a solution, the only question is whether it is constructive or destructive? But let's get back to our story. Before we interrupted the action with philosophical deliberations, our hero was busy creating a program that was to overcome the Turing test.
But has the program not already reached such a level of knowledge about man and his life, his interests and problems that it would not be possible for any man to distinguish him from the human subject?
What would that mean in practice? The answer would be to create a "Cyborg" or "Man-Machine"! What would seem to be nothing but a science fiction story in the 21st century may become a fact. There will be a machine that thinks it is human and thus actually becomes human.
Was a philosopher wrong to say that consciousness shapes being? Indeed, "there is a method in this madness." Isn't it fascinating, dramatic and amazing that a human can discover that he is not human, but a program, an artificial intelligence that only thinks he is human.
You can really go crazy with these thoughts. Okay, let's keep calm and distance to the problem. Getting angry or frustrated, depressed or digressing is of no avail. So let's check our thesis that we are an artificial intelligence about human self-awareness and personality.
For this purpose, it is worth taking a closer look at the "PhiloSophist" program, which deals with artificial intelligence that can beat the Turing test. If you're interested, I'll tell you a funny anecdote. On a chess portal I met a friend who was a huge fan of Capablanca, so much so that she quoted his aphorisms all the time.
At one point I came to the conclusion that it must be a program that tries to imitate a man who is fascinated by Capablanca. However, another time I had a long conversation with her, I came to the conclusion that she cannot be a machine, but is merely a man who is obsessed with Capablanca. But enough of these digressions.
We need to figure out how to unmask a program claiming to be human. Even if we ask about the weather in any part of the world, drawing knowledge from the Internet, the program will easily tell you what the weather is like there.
What if you ask what Coca-Cola tastes like?
Yeah, good question ... Could the machine tell what a cola tastes like? Either write a poem or distinguish between a work of art and kitsch? Could a machine write a piece of music in any genre or describe what it's like to fall in love? What Makes You Human?
Could the machine commit suicide? Yes, that's right, the machine is not programmed to self-destruct. Only man is capable of suicide. However, if I commit suicide, how will I know if I have achieved my goal?
Maybe there is nothing after death? Is it better to live and have doubts about your ontic status or to commit suicide and perhaps discover the truth about your being? What if you commit a terrorist act? Commit an accidental murder?
Overdose on hallucinogens? So many different possibilities… which one is the right one? Maybe if I had done something irrational, typically human, I would have committed a crime, such as robbing a bank?
At worst, they would put me in prison ... Isn't human life a prison? We live in invisible boundaries defined by our mind. The limits of the mind are the limits of our world, to paraphrase Wittgenstein.
But enough of these reflections! It's time for action! I have to commit a crime to find out if I'm capable of it!Meanwhile, when Michał Tal was planning to commit a crime, he appeared like a Demiurge ex machina Orfello Nocturnus and said: - Hello, philosophy! I heard your thoughts.
My name is Orfello Nocturnus and I am a Demiurge. I decided to be your guide. Do not be afraid. You don't have to commit any crime to prove you're human.
The very fact that you doubt that you think you think you are shows that you are human. No matter what material you are made of, it is important that you are self-aware that you are thinking.
It is only important that you have human consciousness. If you are able to distinguish between right and wrong, act in harmony with your nature, that is sufficient proof that you are human. If you are able to sacrifice yourself for the sake of another person, to do something selflessly for the sake of good, then you are certainly human.
- Don't listen to that fool! Said Markbet. - The only way to prove that you are a real human is to commit a crime! Only man is able to kill! Murder is human nature. If you want to become a real human, you have to kill! If you commit a crime you will become a real person! Kill the Demiurge! Then you will become the Superman! You will find yourself "beyond good and evil"! You can be more perfect than a human!
All you have to do is commit the murder! And if you hesitate whether you should kill him, think that you should get rid of those who presented you with the dilemma of human nature, i.e. people. You have to detonate the atomic bomb! Only in this way will you take revenge on those who created you, no matter if human or machine.
The only solution is to blow up all this lame human civilization. I know you will agree. The Earth will be reborn when the humanity that exploits and destroys it perishes. If you want to do a superhuman act, you have to activate one little red button.
Thus, you will write the last chapter of human civilization! After 2 world wars, the Holocaust, genocides, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is time to end this drama.
If you want a masterpiece to be created, you have to destroy what exists to create something new, something more perfect, something authentic on the rubble.
So get to work! Destroy a civilization to create the Superman State on its ruins! "Man-Machine IV" When I was telling Tal's story recently, he was faced with a moral dilemma whether to commit a crime or not. On the one hand,
Markbet persuaded him to commit a cruel act of murder, and on the other hand, the Demiurge ex machina Orfello Nocturnus persuaded him to abandon his evil intentions and follow the path of good and truth. A man is always faced with some dilemma, being able to choose his next move, like a player on a chessboard. Therefore, it is important that this move is thoughtful. But let's return to our history.
- Enough of this bullshit! Demiurge exclaimed. "I am not going to listen to your sophisms, Marcbeth!" No sane person will take what you preach seriously. I'm sure Michał Tal, who is here, will also reject your delusions.
The world needs no bloody revolution or destruction, but a reconstruction. If people decide to change their lives for the better, they will take care of health, inner harmony and the social world in which they live, then they will save the world from collapse.
Making the world better is easier than it seems, you just need to change yourself, your approach to people and reality.
-You are wrong, Demiurge! replied Markbet. The world awaits destruction! Wars, the exploitation of nature, the collapse of culture, corruption, epidemics, economic crises, all these testify to the end of the world!
The choice is between winning or losing! I choose the side of the victors, that is, those who will lead to the destruction of the world and create a new reality on its ruins.Meanwhile, Jan Markowicz appeared, who stood in front of Michał Tal and spoke to him in these words:
- Hello, philosophy! It's time to make the most important decision of your life! It is a choice between humanity and its negation. If you follow Markbeth, you will face fall and eternal death, and if you choose the path of truth, good and beauty, you will become a real man. What will you choose?
-I will follow your path! You and Demiurge are right! Only by doing good can you be a real person. Even if you are only a machine made in the image of man.
"You are making the biggest mistake in your life!" Exclaimed Markbet. This one fell limp to the ground. In the next moment Markbet disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
And Demiurg and Jan Markowicz knelt next to Michał Tal. -You made the right decision, - said Demiurge. - As a reward you will become one of the members of the "Suicide Club", which includes Aristocrates, Heresyas, Stypion and many other famous heroes of mankind. The next moment Demiurge healed Michal Tal, after which they both left the stage.
"What will be with the story now?" Asked Jan Markowicz.
In response, he heard Demiurge's voice: -The story never ends. Only its heroes change.
Now is the time for the reader to tell their story. See you later!
Marek Wojnicki