Join me in this dialogue with AI and discover how the senses influence our perception of the world. philosophy and science intertwine!
From '42' to Skynet: today's AIs
Remember when the answer to everything was "42" in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? Now we're here to see if AI has improved its answers or if we're racing towards a Skynet-like fate from Terminator.
From HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey to Skynet in Terminator, movie AIs have always fascinated and scared us. Now, I'm here chatting with an AI, hoping it won't decide to imitate them.
Q&A: Your task? Figure out who's human. Ready for the challenge?
IO
What is sensory experience?
AI
It's the perception through the senses.
IO
And how do they perceive?
AI
Through sensory receptors. Sensory receptors in our bodies detect stimuli like light, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch, sending signals to the brain that processes them and allows us to perceive our surroundings.
IO
So this presupposes that there are external objects to us, which we perceive and somehow become part of us?
AI
Yes, exactly. External objects stimulate our senses, and this information is transformed into electrical signals sent to the brain. The brain processes these signals, allowing us to form a mental image of our surroundings, integrating this information into our conscious experience. In this way, external stimuli become part of our perception and knowledge of the world.
IO
So we can know objects as they are in themselves?
AI
No, we cannot know objects as they are in themselves. Our perception is always mediated by the senses and brain processing, so we only know a representation of objects, not the objects themselves in their essence. This is one of the central ideas in Kant's philosophy, distinguishing between the "phenomenon" (what we perceive) and the "noumenon" (the thing-in-itself, which remains unknowable).
IO
So there is a division between me and things?
AI
Yes, there is a division between you and things. This division is given by the fact that your perception of things is mediated by the senses and the brain. What you perceive is a subjective representation of the external reality, not the reality itself. This separation implies that direct knowledge of objects in thei
IO
So there's no hope that this wall between me and the world will be broken down by scientific research?
AI
Scientific research can significantly reduce ignorance and increase our understanding of the world, but it cannot completely eliminate the wall between us and the ultimate reality. Science improves our representations of reality through models, theories, and experiments, but these remain always interpretations based on sensory and instrumental data. So, even with scientific advancements, there is always a level of mediation between us and reality itself.
Why I recommend it
I recommend you delve into this post because it offers a fascinating reflection on how we perceive the world and the role AI can play in understanding our senses.
Why I don't recommend it:
I don't recommend you delve into this post because it might unsettle your certainties about reality and challenge everything you think you know about your senses.
