Oct 17 (News On Japan) - A new series titled "The Big Question" by WIRED has launched, tackling some of the most profound and complex topics shaping the future of humanity. Its inaugural question — "Will AI ever become conscious?" — delves into a concept that, while once confined to science fiction, has now entered the realm of serious scientific debate as artificial intelligence becomes an integral part of daily life.
The series brings together perspectives from neuroscientist Masataka Watanabe, aesthetician Asa Ito, and WIRED Japan’s editor-in-chief Tomoaki Matsushima, each exploring the issue from their respective fields.
Watanabe, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Engineering and a visiting researcher at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, specializes in neuroscience and has conducted pioneering research into artificial consciousness, mind uploading, and brain-machine interfaces. His books, including "Brain Consciousness, Machine Consciousness" and "The Mystery of Consciousness," explore how neural processes could give rise to awareness, and whether machines could one day replicate that process.
Ito, a professor at the Institute for Liberal Arts and director of DLab+ at Tokyo Institute of Science, approaches the question from the perspective of aesthetics and contemporary art. Her research investigates the human body and its relationship with perception and capability, often through fieldwork involving people with disabilities. Her works, such as "How Blind People See the World," "The Remembering Body," and "The Body Moves: Exploring What Humans Can Do (Technology × Body)," explore how physical experience shapes consciousness itself.
Together, their insights highlight not only the scientific and philosophical challenges of defining consciousness but also the deeper implications of what it would mean for humanity if machines were ever to possess it.
Source: WIRED.jp
