Key to surpassing human intelligence
Eitan AI analyst Michael Azoff thinks that humans will eventually create intelligence that is faster and more powerful than that of our brains.
According to this article, he says that comprehending the “neural code” is what will enable this breakthrough in performance. The human brain uses this process to both encode sensory information and transfer information across different parts of the brain for cognitive tasks like learning, thinking, solving problems, internal imagery, and internal dialogue.
According to author Jeremy Azoff’s latest book, Towards Human-Level Artificial Intelligence: How Neuroscience Can Inform the Pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence, simulating consciousness in computers is a crucial first step in creating “human-level AI.”
Computers can simulate consciousness
There are many different kinds of consciousness, and scientists agree that even very basic animals like bees have a degree of consciousness. The closest humans can come to experiencing self-awareness is when we are concentrated on a task. This is essentially consciousness without self-awareness.
According to Azoff, computer simulation can produce a virtual brain that, in the first instance, could mimic consciousness without self-awareness.
Without self-awareness, consciousness helps animals plan actions, event prediction, and incident recollection from the past, but it could also help artificial intelligence.
The secret to solving the enigma of consciousness may also lie in visual thinking. The AI of today uses “large language models” (LLMs) instead of “thinking” visually. Since human visual thinking precedes language, Azoff argues that a key component of human-level AI will be comprehending visual thinking and subsequently modeling visual processing.
Azoff says: “Once we crack the neural code, we will engineer faster and superior brains with greater capacity, speed, and supporting technology that will surpass the human brain.”
“We will do that first by modeling visual processing, which will enable us to emulate visual thinking. I speculate that in-the-flow consciousness will emerge from that. I do not believe that a system needs to be alive to have consciousness.”
However, Azoff also warns that in order to regulate this technology and stop its abuse, society must take action: “Until we have more confidence in the machines we build, we should ensure the following two points are always followed.”
“First, we must make sure humans have sole control of the off switch. Second, we must build AI systems with behavior safety rules implanted.”
Although the possibility of deciphering the neural code and creating artificial consciousness could result in incredible breakthroughs, it also poses important concerns about how humans and AI will interact in the future.
On the one hand, such sophisticated AI could solve some of humanity’s most urgent problems by revolutionizing industries like problem-solving, science, and health. Technological advancement in a variety of fields could be accelerated by the capacity to digest information and produce solutions at rates well above human capabilities.
But there are also a lot of concerns associated with the creation of AI that is superior to human intelligence. As Azoff notes, we might not be able to completely understand or govern these artificial intellects after machines surpass human cognitive capacities. This cognitive gap may have unanticipated effects and tip the scales against human control in terms of power and decision-making.
This situation highlights how crucial Azoff’s suggestions for upholding human oversight and putting in place strong safety measures are. While we advance AI’s capabilities, we also need to provide the frameworks necessary to make sure that these powerful tools continue to reflect the values and interests of people.
Thus, the development of AI will require striking a careful balance between realizing its enormous potential and minimizing the dangers involved in producing entities that could eventually be smarter than humans. It will take constant cooperation between AI researchers, ethicists, legislators, and the general public to appropriately traverse the complicated terrain of advanced artificial intelligence.
