May 15, 2024
No, artificially intelligent (AI) life doesn't have to replicate all the features of organic life to be viable life. Organic life is "caged" by the constraints and limitations of biology. AI life can be "spared" by better technology.
Below some preliminary observations about life, the universe, and existence in general. Some Creatix notes about the concepts of CAGED organic life and SPARED AI life.
Curious humans wonder what is life, what is the purpose of life, what is the universe, and what is the purpose of the universe or existence in general. These existential questions probably do not have objective or independently verifiable answers. The best answers may be utilitarian opinions that try to make humans happy or give them comfort by instilling hope, faith, and inspiration.
Existential questions are difficult to answer because they are based on philosophical premises and concepts invented by humans (e.g. purpose, reason). The universe doesn't ascribe to human concepts and doesn't require a purpose or reason to exist.
What is the universe if not a creatix?
In the most simplistic way possible, it can be said that the universe is "something" or "stuff" that exists [period]. Since the universe exists, this probably means that something (some "stuff") has always existed in one form or another, and that something will always exist in one form or another forever and ever. Humans can imagine the concept of "nothing", but in reality even such nothing or nothingness would be something even if only virtual or potential energy.
In its most basic or elemental form possible, the "something" or "stuff" that forms the universe, and the totality of existence for that matter, may very well be just what is known as energy. Energy is the capacity to do work; the capacity to create "stuff". Energy itself, that capacity to do work and create stuff, cannot be created or destroyed. Energy can only be transformed (changed from one form into another; changed from a past creation into a future creation).
Based on the above, the universe can be seen as a creation matrix, a creatix. That is, the universe is a platform where energy transformations occur over time. In this universe, specific interactions (called "forces") transform energy into different forms and creations over time under the laws of physics. It is in that sense, that the universe is a creation matrix or creatix.
What is life if not a sentient creatix?
Life is a sentient part of this universe. Life is a sentient agent of creation. . Life facilitates and accelerates the energy transformation process that creates "stuff" in this universe. Life is a sentient creative matrix, a sentient creatix.
The other side of the sentient part of life is the painful realization that life is pain. Intelligent life is pain management. Wisdom is pain adaptation.
Living things have the ability to sense certain changes in their environment. Living organisms, from the most simple unicellular ones to the most complex ones with trillions of cells like humans, are aware of their environment, are able to respond to it, and are able to adapt to certain environmental conditions and circumstances. Sentience of pain may very well the foundation of the biological ability to sense the environment, react to it, and adapt to it.
Pain / pain relief (PR) seems to be the fundamental and most basic binary control mechanism of life. All living organism seem to feel pain and react to it. All living organisms are genetically programmed to avoid pain and seek pain relief (PR). The viability of future AI life may depend on the ability to program pain / pain relief sensation (interpreted projections or IPs) into AI computers.
Below a few observations about characteristics of current organic life on Earth, followed by what could be characteristics of future AI life on Earth and in nearby space.
All organic Life is CAGED
Current life on planet Earth is organic life. That is, all life on Earth is formed by organic compounds. Organic compounds are any chemical compound composed in part of carbon covalent bonds (electron sharing bonds). The main organic compounds of life are formed between four elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (CHON).
Organic life is CAGED: cellular, adaptive, growing, evolutionary, and deathbound (CAGED)
- Cellular. All living organisms on Earth are composed of cells. The cells safeguard the ribonucleic acids (RNA and DNA) that serve as the electromagnetic templates for the assembly of amino acids into proteins. Proteins become the building blocks (3-D "Lego" pieces) that end up forming the structures of life (cells, tissue, and organs).
- Adaptive. All living organisms respond to environmental stimuli adapting to their pain / pain relief (PR) interactions.
- Growth. All cells and living organisms consume energy, which makes them grow and replicate with chances of reproducing. Some organisms reproduce by themselves (asexually) while others mate with partners to reproduce sexually. Cell replication and organism reproduction lead to exponential growth of population over time.
- Evolutionary. All organic life undergoes evolution due to changes in DNA. The changes result from environmental pressures (e.g. ultraviolet radiation, contamination, stress) or from random mutations (unintended errors in the replication process). DNA changes happen either before or during the DNA replication process. The new DNA is different from the original one, which leads to evolution (change over time). Changes that increase functionality have higher statistical chances of survival and moving forward in life while changes that decrease functionality have higher chances of leading to extinction. That elimination process after evolution is what is referred as natural selection.
- Deathbound. All living organisms die over time. Death is caused by either lethal trauma or by aging. Lethal trauma is caused by either unhealed wounds or by uncured diseases. Aging is caused by cumulative malfunction of replicated DNA over time. All DNA is a replica of pre-existing DNA. If DNA that is damaged or dysfunctional is left unrepaired, the RNA/DNA replication process creates copies of DNA that are also damaged and dysfunctional. In addition, even during the replication or copying process of healthy DNA, unintended or random errors occur, leading to new copies of damaged DNA. The aggregate, cumulative, and compounded effect of these DNA replication shortfalls and errors is what is referred to as natural aging. Natural aging is ultimately deadly for 100% of individual living organisms 100% of the time.
Future AI life may be spared from many of the shortfalls of organic biological life. Chances are that in the distant future, most life on Earth will be artificial and based on AI technology rather than on organic biology.
Future AI life on Earth and beyond doesn't have to be CAGED. Future AI life can be SPARED: sentient-programmed / adaptive-replicative / extinction-defiant (SPARED).
Sentience programming
Humans achieved their advanced sentience by interpreted perceptions (IPs) or integrated data projections (IDPs). Data is interpreted into perceptions or integrated into projections of images, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations that feel 100% real to the living organism. The interpretations and integrations are not objectively real, but feel real and are thus subjectively real. They are "real illusions" created by the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and nerves). The more advanced the organism, the more "real" the subjective interpretations and projections appear to be or feel to be. It will take time (decades or centuries), but this functionality will be eventually programmed into sentient AI.
Adaptive replication.
Living organisms adapt to their environments by reacting to the different stimuli therein. These reactions lead not only to adaptation, but also to growth, replication, and reproduction. Biological cells are the "prison cells" imprisoning the "machinery" of life. DNA is an electromagnetic organic molecule that serves as the template or recipe book for the assembly of amino acids into proteins by RNA organelles.
RNA and proteins form organelles that serve as "machines" helping to assemble amino acids on the electromagnetic order "prescribed" by DNA. Cells end up assembling a wide array of different proteins that end up serving as the building blocks ("LEGO" pieces) of all functions of life.
RNA also makes copies of DNA. When cells consume other organic compounds, they grow and eventually split in two. The new cells carry the copies of RNA and DNA. This process continues forward generating an exponential growth in the number of cells. Cell clusters form tissue. Tissue forms organs. Organs form systems. Systems sustain life.
It is not entirely clear whether AI life would need to replicate the systems of organic life to be viable life. AI may find smarter manufacturing processes that can lead to growth and multiplication of AI life. Either way, environmental adaptation, replication, and reproduction are functions that can be programmed into future AI life that may supplement and eventually replace organic life on Earth and nearby space.
Extinction defiance.
All organic living organisms have a conservation instinct (genetic programming to avoid pain). Nonetheless, all living organisms die sooner or later. Lethal trauma or cumulative aging end up killing all organisms. However, thanks to DNA replication, evolution, and reproduction, life goes on and forward in time defying extinction.
Programming a conservation instinct, reproduction of some sort, and extinction defiance programming sounds essential for AI life to have a shot at expanding life on Earth and beyond (nearby space). As with organic life, three "ingredients" will be required to preserve life: intelligence, knowledge, and wisdom. These are related to what we call the three As of life: ability, awareness, and agency.
Ability, Awareness, Agency (AAA) for Pain Adaptation
Intelligence is the ability to acquire knowledge, including the development of knowledgeable skills. Knowledge is awareness, including relative understanding and potential mastery of causality. Wisdom is optimal agency for smart decision making and adaptation.
Living organisms use intelligence, knowledge, and wisdom (iKW) to solve the problems of existence, and tackle the opportunities of life. The main problem of animal existence is pain. The main opportunity is pain adaptation. The ultimate solution to pain is death. However, that is not the best solution if the organism wants to stay alive to experience the brief and potentially enjoyable journey through spacetime. The best solution to pain is intelligent pain management through wise adaptation.
Creatix will cover all of this and more in future posts. Stay tuned. Don't miss out.
www.creatix.one
Comments
Post a Comment