Can a machine have a conscience - Research Paper Example

Can a machine have a conscience? In the artificial intelligence field, artificial consciousness or rather machine consciousness is aimed at defining whether machines have the right conscience. The debate over artificial consciousness plausibility has been ongoing. In most cases, theorists always hold skeptical views regarding the conscience of machines (Hall, 38). In fact, they claim that conscience in machines can only be achieved in specific physical systems since consciousness has properties, which necessarily depend on machines physical constitution.

Despite the current technological changes and the ability to stimulate autonomy, consciousness in machines is still difficult to attain. Computers have failed to exhibit creativity, free will or emotions. Most machines operate by their components. Therefore, machines have zero consciousness. Despite the argument that computers, for example, have the ability of performing computation roles and are sufficient in possessing conscious mind, computers have no conscience. It is quite evident that computations have the ability of capturing other systems causal organizations.

However, computers have no mental properties within them. In most cases, machines operate under instructions (Hall, 45). Running the right computations kinds does not instantiate mental properties in the computers. There is more to mental properties and consciousness than simply operating a computer. There are various consciousness aspects, which are deemed necessary for anything to be artificially conscious. Such aspects are not available in machines. However, with technological progress in the future, the possibility of machine conscience is still open.

This will, however, require aspects such as awareness, learning and anticipation. In this case, anticipation would mean that the computers have the predicting ability something, which makes the whole, process difficult. Work Cited Hall, J S. Beyond Ai: Creating the Conscience of the Machine. Amherst, N.Y: Prometheus Books, 2007. Print.