14th January 2010
Workbench Log #07- On Creation and Beauty
Introduction to article:
Two months ago I had started research on the third project RN (T3). At that point of time, project RN (T2) was undergoing construction and was postulated to be completed by April 2010. Project RN (T3) basically attempts to address fundamental principles on beauty and creation. I will not be speaking about the theories introspected here. Today, I'll focus on an issue realized during the research process.
Background reason of research:
I had started my research from natural creation. It had been intuitive to start from consultation of religious leaders, books and the theology regarding sexual reproduction. Subsequently, I had moved on to introspecting art, literature and music pieces to understand the meaning of harmony and characterization. It was on recent times I had focused my attention unto simulations and AI robots- partially out of the movies 'Matrix' and 'Ghost In The Shell'. It had seemed upon hindsight that AI and robots are one of the finer creations of humanity. I was determined to see what had made humans to compelled to keep developing into AI and robotics- why do we keep improving, and what do we hope to achieve.
Summary of report; thesis of article:
As of today, I have only one word to report back here- Disturbing.
The changing meaning of human creation:
How is it disturbing? Humans have initially created robots and programs for utilitarian purposes. Our creations had existed fundamentally to bring ease into our lives by alleviating the physical and intellectual burdens that we had to previously undertake manually. With the advent of such machines, we were then able to solve complex problems in math and lift exceedingly heavy loads in a construction site. But today, as we no longer have to race for a better washing machine or a microwave oven or a power-shovel, our attention towards our creations had turned into another domain.
Human creation, with respect to our hierarchy of needs:
I had discussed before (in 2008) that as humans progress in their capabilities for creation and development. There is an inherent phenomenon that they will always strive to create an exact image (not copy) of themselves ultimately. This can be aptly reflected in psychologist Marsolw's Hierarchy of Needs. A man may be contented with a fish as food if he had none previously, but if he has adequate food and a horse comes by to provide utilitarian aid, he would willingly set his sights upon it. Now with a horse and fish at his disposal, he would then see a higher need for aesthetics- for love and companionship, and ultimately for the meaning of living. Currently, we have little need for horses or fishes. We already have created a sea of machinery and computers helping us out in our various specific needs. On top of their specific contributions, we have also inter-aggregated (integrated) their augmentations via linking them seamless into a network of logic modelled after our social network called the internet.
Our phenomenal strive to re-create humanity by arbitrary means:
Through research obtained in the past three weeks, it is evident fact that man had been modelling their image unto the concept of 'dolls' and their intellect unto the concept of artificial intelligence. Even as we speak, man himself is attempting to merge these two domains together in the integrated form of humanoid robotics and interactive A.I.. From what started as the utilitarian purpose of bring aid to the elderly and domestic care to children, humanoid robotics developed by both Japan and America today are beginning to move towards another domain- of providing companionship and love towards us humans. Our ongoing strives to blend A.I. interaction and developing of robotic machinery towards more 'humane' resemblances have led to the first prototypes of androids that react similarly to a rudimentary human (comparable to 5 years of age). Although these prototypes are still generally lacking in terms of intellectual development, and may never gain access to a collective conscience to provide a threat to existence (as postulated in the series Terminator). However, what proves as disturbing, and the purpose of this excerpt, actually lies in the way we view our creations as it becomes increasingly life-like.
Roxxxy as an example of emotional feedback, and our feedbacks on her:
The recent unveiling of Roxxxy (published 12th January 2010) as a robot created fundamentally for sex and companionship purposes (a sexaroid)- with the intent to be as 'humane and interactive as possible so that it may provide a substantial substitution for a real human girlfriend' has definitely blurred the lines of physical and intellectual utility. From our previous die-cast definitions of doing work and solving equations, the concept of physical and intellectual augmentations have now expanded to include work in sexual activities and emotional conditioning. As with my previous article, it had been comments of netizens, proceeding the unveiling itself, that brings about the true case of disturbance. The general view of Roxxxy was mainly focused on the state of it's physical attractiveness. A general message was noted that humans actually do not bother who they are actually having sex with just as long as 'the experience is realistic enough' and (the gynoid) provides successful emotional empathy.
Project Aiko- a demonstration that humans will not stop till they have created themselves essentially, and also a thought experiment of creation out of emotional reasons.
Project Aiko (beloved one) was also of noteworthy importance. The obsession to recreate and develop an andriod (gynoid) as far as possible (without planned restrictions) confirms the earlier postulation that humans will not stop until they have essentially created themselves (on a metaphysical level) by their own will and means. Interestingly, this project stands in contrast to similar projects undertaken by Honda to recreate androids. While androids were created by Honda merely as a pure display of human achievements in technology (even so it is interesting why had they replaced a prosthetic human face on the latest model), an additional means of emotional connection had existed between the creator and the entity itself, analogous to a parent and a child, throughout the development process. To this, the question the notion of creation with partial concepts of ontological union involved. Although such union can hardly be compared to true transcendental love, however it's truth that it still does create a certain notion of meaning. What would be said of the purpose of robots if humans actually devoted emotional care in creating them? This area of introspection still stands in murky waters for now.
Our three-step response to our creations
What comes most shockingly, as with the case of Roxxxy, is actually the human response to these creations. From the various forums, and commentary sections of Youtube and Dailymotion in particular, evidently, humans have generally demonstrated three stages of response while interacting with robots close to primal responses to intelligent objects. Indeed, they are initially skeptical about robots while they still differ greatly with the 'true' human form- they poke curiously, and laugh constantly at the awkward responses elicited (the psychology of laughter can be debated). However, when they are exposed to a more realistic android, their expressions then transit from skepticism to a certain type of shock and repulsion- perhaps it is the slight realization that their creations are coming a little too close to humanity for comfort. But it is noted on all accounts that with they should ignore their second reflection of repulsion, with prolonged interaction, humans actually will eventually begin to converse 'humanely' with the A.I.. However, they would ultimately remind themselves periodically that it is still after all not human or dead.
Skepticism is no more than a higher cognitive process of faith, reason and persuasion:
While adults generally do demonstrate the three stages of responsiveness, children on the other hand were observed to have a smoother transition between stage 1 to stage 3, with some very young children bypassing stage 2 altogether. Therefore it has been implied that such skepticism is actually derived from higher cognitive processes (of faith and reason) that robots are not human. From here we can postulate that if this higher cognitive process of reason is suppressed- either with emotional charges (same mechanism as drugs and stimulants) derived from prolonged emotional connection with our creations, or logically overwritten with the new assumption that 'there is in essence no difference between them and us', then humans may actually lose their distinction altogether. (we can discuss the interplay of reason between humanity and such notions to predict the final impression humans would actually make)
The frontiers on how humans have actually been affected by their creations:
There have already been countless reports by the Japanese media of husbands actually neglecting their wives for company with virtual reality characters, added onto the handful of people who actually committed suicide after their virtual reality programs crash- implying the death of their cyber-characters. These articles have confirmed the validity that our creations may actually feedback purpose to humanity. They also have demonstrated the potential that humans may be lost with their true identity as humans.While we be-label such indviduals as weak or stupid, and maintain true humans will not succumb so easily to such postulations, it is objective nevertheless, that as we grapple with the lack of humanity in the workplace and at home, we are actually lowering our current state of meaning (as opposed to our full potential of humanity) to become sub-humans ourselves. Indeed, robots may never have that infinite potential or state of being to become real humans, but the danger actually lies in the inverse. It is more likely for humans to start losing their humanity- their faith and their capacities to enact love that lowers their objective state of value and esteem (which is the subjective perception of one's worth) to no more as machines themselves.
The deficiency yet desire of love in humans may lead humans to turn to other forms of emotional connection.
While robotics and A.I. are geared toward the intellectual compatibility of humans and the logically perfect emotional connection to substitute the companionship of a logically imperfect emotional connection of a human being, the relationship between man and brother declines rapidly even as we speak. With our current deficiencies in love, there may be a day where the need for love (the ultimate need of humans) may overwrite all regard towards the (then subtle) differences between the human and the humanoid. I do not hypothesize the stereotypical view of a man disregarding his wife for his household gynoid in the year 2142- that notion would be implausible and irrelevant to our current area of concern. But rather more like a simple MSN conversation between a 14 year old and an A.I. bot on an online avatar. it is very plausible that the 14 year old decides to hold such prolonged conversations simply because it does not bully her like the boys in class do, and understands her better her parents. for the record, we already do have a presence of rudimentary MSN bots and interactive A.I.s with an unique avatar, so such an envisionment would not be a far-fetched postulation in the near future.
Case study: marriage between man and an A.I. character from the game “love-Plus”
This can aptly be reflected in December 2009, when the media reported the first marriage between a man and an A.I. character from Japanese Nintendo game 'Love-Plus". Love-Plus was released onto the Nintendo DS platform on September 2009, and serves as a virtual reality relationship simulator game- analogous to earlier versions of Tamaguchi, except that the previous pixelated animal has been replaced by a 3-D rendered image of an anime drawing of a human female (bishoujo). This article may be slightly hilarious for the time being, since personal research into the game play methods has concluded that the actual simulation can only be realized with a great amount of personal conviction (delusion). However, it is more than possible that with more advanced A.I., and realistic simulations, the now-apparent distinction between a joke, and a plausibility be actually blurred in the near future. Should the previous argument hold truth, then there eventually will be more than a single case of 'marriage'. And should our current attitude still stand, all of the above will definitely become more than another whim upon the deranged world.
Reminder to the skeptical:
On a side note- humans are indeed very easily deluded. This has been proven historically.
Various Questions to the above implications:
What then would be the meaning of human creation? how far would we then have deviated from natural creation (or God's plan?). Will we not create another entity of sentience, even if we fail at creating souls and life just as how we were created? How far would we be allowed to go then before we may start violating the natural laws of creation? If it is the intent that we are judging this upon, what will be said if there is an objective intent for the green light to human creation? I have recorded down previously that it is innate even within myself to desire for the perfect human creation in form of a character. I had stated the limitations and the taboo areas, but if we were to look back at the fundamental question- why do I myself even want to make that perfect creation??
Personal conclusion
I won't expect answers to these questions anytime soon. I personally be curious to see the day humans emerge with their perfect creation, although it may as well mark the day of the apocalypse when humans play God themselves. While I end these words today, even from within- that desire to create that perfect creation resonates within. This same dream shared by people around me: possibility to just a dream- possibly to a science fiction book, and possibly to a manufacturing plant....
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