Is the question of whether or not artificial intelligence can become conscious really just about whether or not humans can become conscious? Think about that for a second.
Imagine that the universe is alive, which, based on observations by scientists, could potentially be a scenario. That would mean that consciousness is both internal and external for us. If consciousness gives birth to intelligence, then we cannot assume that intelligence gives birth to consciousness, because consciousness is the bedrock. Consciousness is always there and always has been. If you look at artificial intelligence, what is actually artificial about it? We designed it through conscious observation, which, as I’ve stated, may or may not have been there from the very start of the universe. The emergence and rapid advancement of artificial intelligence could be a sign and epitome of humanity’s one big existential problem, which is this: the problem of the self and the problem of meaning.
It’s no secret that the West has had a trajectory of unprecedented growth, and its influence has pretty much consumed the vast majority of modern-day civilisation, if not all of it. The Western society we see today has been utterly consumed by this technological, rationalistic, and materialistic force, which is simultaneously paired with an ancient monotheistic tradition. Because all these aspects are coexisting at the same time, the modern man has become alienated from his inner world. C.G. Jung himself wrote about this:
"Thus, in Western society, the deification of reason, of industrialisation and technology together with the intellectualisation of religion, has progressively alienated modern man from his inner world and from his feeling function… Cultures, no less than individuals, can lack wholeness and completeness."
When we look at Eastern society, we see a much different picture. The Eastern man is much less consumed by this obsession with and entanglement in matter and is more focused on the concept of mind. Therefore, his understanding of the self is far more refined than that of his Western counterpart. To Western man, the meaninglessness of a merely static universe is unbearable. He must assume that it has meaning. The Eastern man does not need to make this assumption; rather, he embodies it. Whereas the Westerner feels the need to complete the meaning of the world, the Easterner strives for the fulfillment of meaning in man, stripping the world and existence from himself.
As Jung stated, both are right. Western man seems predominantly extraverted, while Eastern man is predominantly introverted. The former projects meaning and considers that it exists in objects; the latter feels meaning in himself. But meaning is both within and without. This tension between internal and external meaning can be observed in many aspects of modern life. For instance, if we look at the transgender movement spreading through the majority of Western societies, it can also be seen as a sign of a crisis in self-identification and meaning. The emergence of metamodernism in the West has seemingly hit a wall, where the biological truths of what it means to be a man or a woman are no longer universally understood.
Look all around you in the world—are these the actions of an intelligence connected to consciousness? The escalation of war, the fights against social injustice, famine, and dangerous ideological habits such as racism must be addressed and faced. I believe the signs are there for all of us to see, and questions are being asked. Forget about whether or not a machine can be conscious. Can we be conscious? What does it mean to be human?
To be human is to love, and the world needs more love. As I’ve said before, the only way to conceptualise infinity is through love. Look at your family, your partner, your friends, and the people around you. It’s a force that cannot be described but is deeply felt. It’s an energy like no other, and it’s pretty much what every religious text has observed—that God is love. Of course, you can say these emotions are all neurological and wired in, but the feeling goes beyond terminology, intelligence, and chemistry, because it requires the CONSCIOUS self to feel it.
Have a beautiful day, people. Spread the love.
