Ok-Mine1268 t1_j6g6dwn wrote on January 30, 2023 at 2:26 AM

Reply to comment by D_Welch in God Is No Longer Dead! (A Kritik of AI & Man) by No_Maintenance_569

Does not being able to define precisely thought or consciousness mean we look at any chat bot and say ‘dang, that thing could be self aware!’? If someone can’t prove my Casio G-shock isn’t sentient should I start wondering if it is? Oddly enough it makes me think of an atheist debater say, ‘if you can’t prove a magical wish granting pony doesn’t exist than you should probably start worshiping it.’ (mocking theists) Paraphrasing, but some of these posts about chatbots and other AI are beginning to sound just as ridiculous.

D_Welch t1_j6kz0y0 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:41 AM

[Does not being able to define precisely thought or consciousness mean we look at any chat bot and say ‘dang, that thing could be self aware!’?]

No I don't believe it means that. Why would it? If it COULD be, then you test for it until it proves that it is. Our problem to start with is not knowing with certainty what Thought or Consciousness actually is.

And that is exactly what an atheist would NOT say. If you can't prove something exists, it is just an idea in your head. Whether or not billions of people subscribe to some variation on the theme does not prove anything, and therefore you should NOT start worshipping whatever it happens to be.