BLUE & ORANGE blog_e

neuroscience, consciousness, AI

Hard Problem of consciousness, while thinking connection between machine and brain


Background / Introduction
In our country a startup started. That tries to demonstrate machine's consciousness with connection between machine and brain when it becomes to have consciousness. Its purpose seems to feel the machine-side consciousness completely by brain-side without feeling uncomfortable. Here, consciousness information inputting from machine hemisphere to brain hemisphere is researched. Then the assumption that the completion of feeling of the machine-side consciousness is needed. And after feeling the machine-side consciousness completely by brain-side without feeling uncomfortable, the trial is that we can realize machine-side consciousness also as same as organic brain.

While thinking connection between machine and brain, we should consider what signal should be suitable for input information with thinking also the implementation of consciousness for computing. Because of Hard Problem, it's the general recognition that there is no theoretical method to explain a color perception (ex. red for red) with machine at this point. This is Hard Problem: though it may be possible to perceive colors consequently with 3 color cone cells, there is no theoretical method to explain. (Though we can find which neuron are firing while feeling "red" and we can distinguish perceiving "red" cells from other cells with fMRI, there is no theoretical method to explain a color perception (ex. red for red).) I understand Hard Problem is: "human sees the colors of the rainbow with the color sequence many understand. But we don't know the reason of the sequence."

In the meantime, how about considering pressure sensitivity, loudness sensitivity, brightness sensitivity, and shape of monochrome that are shown with stepwisely intensity. Those case should seem to be different from the case of color. Apparently those cases are different from olfactory sensibility, gustatory sensibility as same as color (ex. red for red). And for olfactory sensibility, gustatory sensibility, there is also no theoretical method to explain them. If we can do, it's better for machine to perceive color. (Some may say it must show perception of color to show consciousness of machine, because color is the symbol of qualia.) But as you know, it's hard. I am wondering I can choose pressure sensitivity, loudness sensitivity, brightness sensitivity, and shape of monochrome for studying perceiving qualia, avoiding the problem of color. We can study color as second step.

Until now I tweeted about Hard Problem that came to indicate melting very slightly recently. Regarding pressure sensitivity, loudness sensitivity, brightness sensitivity, and shape of monochrome, while a sensor feel perception of intensity and it has the label of the sensor (place and what it senses), it came to indicate melting very slightly.

Confirmation: cohort B seems to indicate melting Hard Problem.
A. color of visual sensitivity, olfactory sensibility, gustatory sensibility (that isn't shown with stepwisely intensity, but shown with quality of sense)
B. shape of monochrome of visual sensitivity, pressure sensitivity, loudness sensitivity, brightness sensitivity, size, rhythm (that is shown with stepwisely intensity)
C. frequency sensitivity (that is shown with linearity, but may be close to cohort A)

It may need more explanation. Basically A to C are all qualia, so they are still hard. But some of them (cohort B) can be distinguished from other qualia and we can feel perception of its qualia without misunderstanding. That is because the some of the cohort B is linked to sensors (physically?) and because the process of feeling it is within the individual itself.

Introducing examples
For example regarding cohort B, with the condition that conscious-entity understands the sensors (place and what it senses), that conscious-entity distinguishes perception of (ex.) pressure sensitivity from loudness sensitivity, brightness sensitivity or other cohort B's. (The conscious-entity means to understand the sensor's "place and what it senses", because the sensor links to brain physically(?) if it is within individual itself. It means the conscious-entity can feel perception of its qualia without misunderstanding.)

For example regarding brightness sensitivity, the conscious-entity can feel that there is a luminous thing and there is no shield between the luminous thing and the conscious-entity. Regarding pressure sensitivity, while it feels something with pressure sensor on the right shoulder, it feels that something taps on there, and (thinking of outer space) while it feels bending on the neck sensor, it feels its head is left alone due to reaction of acceleration of the upper part of the body. If the information is sent into all over brain, the info isn't felt as appropriate one (ex.) brightness sensitivity as if it is felt as stun gun stimulus. It is very important for the info to be linked to brain within individual itself directly.

If the information is linked to Visual cortex for brightness sensitivity, it should be brightness information. That is unthinkable that an info (ex. brightness sensitivity) is treated as other perception (ex. pressure sensitivity) if the info is linked to Visual cortex.

And let's think of evolution of microbe. At first it is OK to escape to everywhere always while it feels pressure sensitivity, loudness sensitivity, or brightness sensitivity. But after some evolution, the microbe comes to select actions from many alternatives in regard to type of stimulus due to increase the survival rates.

Additionally its process of cohort B (the feeling of intensity) can be used for brightness sensitivity with four sensors that are used for four view angles that are used for upper-right, lower-right, lower-left, and upper-left. And as similar process, and with detailed grid cells we can feel monochrome pixel art. And this feeling of pixel art can also be used for pressure sensitivity, and further, the stimulus to tongue also can show pixel art as similar as brightness sensitivity.

Discussion
In the meantime there is no theoretical method to explain a process of cohort A (ex. red for red) even now. (Hard Problem) though it may be possible to perceive colors consequently with 3 color cone cells, there is no theoretical method to explain. "human sees the colors of the rainbow with the color sequence many understand. But we don't know the reason of the sequence."

In this way perception can be largely grouped into three. And I understand there is a perspective that cohort B seems to indicate melting. Considering Hard Problem, an unconsidered idea (like Pretty Hard Problem) doesn't lead a link to next idea. But I think the process that shows analytical ideas from already-known ideas lead links to next ideas.

While considering inputting a piece of consciousness to brain from machine, it means consciousness is completed within the machine (*1). But it's very difficult for machine to say "I felt it." if the target is from cohort A (ex. red for red). (The machine can understand its frequency of the color. But it doesn't mean the machine internal is filled with red color.) In the meantime I think it's rather easier that for the machine to say "I felt it." and seems close to self‐evident if the target is from cohort B (ex. pressure sensitivity). But Its precondition is the process of feeling it is within the individual itself.

So if we try to input this (cohort B) information to internet, tagging (the place the sensor located, and what it senses) is necessary. And if its output is into a living body, output to suitable sensory cortex is necessary. And if its output is into a machine, it is necessary to decode with that tagging.

There may be similar prior research, because this can be tried with thought experiment even in the mind in the past even though they can't think of consciousness implementation to machine then. But after considering this topic, there may be also some hints of cohort A. Some research of "eye" may cause some opportunities.

I didn't hear that some disease cause a malfunction of the colors sequence of the rainbow, (though I didn't investigate all documents). And I am wondering living being under visible rays can see the colors sequence of the rainbow (except infrared ray and ultraviolet ray) if it has 3 color cone cells. What should we think next? Is it same about aliens? There are many viewpoints.

Note: I heard that color impaired don't see a certain color frequency band, and I think it doesn't cause the colors sequence change, though some part of sensitivity of frequency is impaired and that may cause difficulty of distinction (ex. between red and green). Please note I don't have detailed knowledge of disease examples. There may be some hints in searching them. For example, a decline to limit of sensitivity of one cone cell of 3 color cone cells might cause another unknown color perception, and so on.

Next steps
That's it. This is based on the thought of minimum and / or lower order consciousness. (*1) is also so. In this background there are also the thought of IIT, unit qualia, and consciousness building block concept. (Except IIT, it is a little difficult. See link: With Chinese room metaphor it's start point to thinking about CONSCIOUSNESS BUILDING BLOCK CONCEPT
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This consideration started from the idea that avoid the difficulty of cohort A. And it caused this consideration of Hard Problem consequently. At first I started this consideration with an idea of connection between machine and brain from one startup. I believe this kind of viewpoint studies contribute progress of various research. I appreciate this kind of proposal. I myself understand that there were some progress of the understanding of Hard Problem. And I'm going to outreach this consideration as well as other research of consciousness continuously.