I think that's what it is, yes. But that doesn't mean dogs or other animals are not conscious. I think dogs process info much like humans do, even though they lack a lot of the cognitive abilities.
Any clues as to what that information processing is which individual humans can do but a random group of humans cannot? I have my ideas, but they seem closer to Eric’s, in that they require specifiable goals.
I don't think there are any necessary or sufficient conditions here, just family resemblances. And the way the US processes information in the real world is nit really all that like how a brain does. In principle, a thought experiment like China Brain is possible, in my view.
I’m asking for an example of such a family. I agree that the U.S. doesn’t process info like a brain, but the question is does it process info in a way to ascribe consciousness. I’d say it does: it recognizes patterns and responds to those patterns in a way designed/selected to advance a goal.
And I don't think that's really what we mean by "consciousness". I think we mean something that has experience a little like ours. And that requires processing information like we do.
Ok, but I’m gonna suggest it is in fact what we mean when we talk about “integrated experience” and “qualia” and “what it’s like”, but we just don’t know it.
FWIW, I’m gonna write a blog post today re: “How to give a ‘blue’ qualia to an AI” which might shed light on my view. Stay tuned.
It is the U.S., which is a fuzzy term, but can be strictly defined when asking the pertinent questions. So it could be,”all citizens of the U.S., and their property”, or “All members of the U.S. govt. and all government property”, or variations. As long as the boundaries are chosen to be useful.
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FWIW, I’m gonna write a blog post today re: “How to give a ‘blue’ qualia to an AI” which might shed light on my view. Stay tuned.