Domestication through Symbols. Consciousness as the web of seeing through symbols.

by Casian STEFAN, Principal Researcher at Essentia Mundi AI Lab. Contact: ai-AT-essentiamundi.com / ai.essentiamundi.com
Apr. 2024.

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Consciousness is the web of seeing through symbols. The top layer part of the brain is there in order to manipulate symbols. A certain stacking in networks and scaling could de facto bring in such feature. (The point where AI field research can add support to this assumption, with stacking and scaling techniques of the future.)

By forming societies, we formed symbols within, at the very core of meaning we operate with these symbols. Ethics and aesthetics are some classes of these symbols. Zooming out of the flesh, matter, the next level is the whole of a minimal "function." At the very core, these functions act as symbols or class of sub-symbols. We do not act on the matter itself, we act on what it represents.

These actions of seeing symbols, gradually transformed further the view. There is always a symbol we look at. If one is to isolate itself from the societal machinery, is to reverse to a symbol-less view of a certain class.

If we still go altering the view, we create new worlds, then I can think:
1) to what extend a new neural layer will take over? Neocortex is considered the top that took over the previous layer. Of the animal brain.
2) the limitation of the skull size, the birth effort, the maximum is to be reached, then how nature is going to find a way that we will still able to scale the brain.
3) when the symbols scaffolding collapses, does one can go well and still survive.
4) some animals do well without higher access to symbols. eg. they act without intentionality. Always asked myself: when the dog is running in a direction and then suddenly stops, there is a decisive moment, of like "now what? where?" - there is no rationality nor intentionality involved as to the next move, I would say.
5) testing for consciousness and grades of it, means to test against symbols, classes of symbols, sub-symbols.

A strong AI system would need to be able to manipulate through symbols, would not have to look out to execute on matter (functions on numbers) but to operate with (our) symbols.


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Exploration by C. Stefan, 29.Apr.2024 [about]
Last update: 29.Apr.2024 (versions: *) [versions]
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References: 
C. Stefan - Of Environment and Madness [here].