[Ultron]

http://www.electronicproducts.com/Robotics/AI/Robot_endowed_ with_consciousness_software_one_year_ago_is_close_to_becoming_self_aware.aspx


I must admit that from what I read so far this project has shown significant results and it is definitely moving forward, however I must note that there was no definition of 'self-aware' or 'conscious', therefore regardless of the results the researchers could claim their robot ant is 'self-aware'...


I am sure that they have a personal model in their minds about what criteria their robot must meet, however to me it is obvious that their definition and understanding of these terms greatly differs from mine. I can thus say that to me, this robot possesses nothing more than advanced environment-adapting software.

[ivan.moony]

What does it mean that some unit is self aware? It seems to me that the answer is simple: to know what "self" is capable of. I don't understand why do they make such a big deal of it.

[8pla.net]

Swatting a fly, often it may evade the fly swatter.
The fly is aware it must move in a split second to survive.
It finds new surroundings, far from the fly swatter.

[Don Patrick]

In the paper they state that they did not intend to build a conscious entity, but rather an intelligent walking robot, after which -and I paraphrase crudely- the philosophers and psychologists can have their fun with it quarreling over whether or not it is conscious.