[Hans Blom, 960311e]
(Lars Christian Smith (960310 19:15 CET))
You once said that one of the things PCT didn't have anything to say
about was consciousness. However, does a class of (control?)
problems exist that can only be solved if you have a sense of self,
or where you have to manipulate a self concept in relation to
bringing an existing state of affairs closer to a desired state?
At a certain level of complexity, a control system must, I think,
necessarily come to the conclusion that it is its own knowledge
(internal model) and its own capabilities (its model of its model)
that allow it to do what it does/can do. This is particularly acute
when one wants to realize complex tasks that require some time before
one can perceive whether the goal is accomplished. As if one has to
"walk in the dark" for some time, without moment-to-moment perceptual
feedback. Planning tasks, in other words.
In those cases, an internal model THAT CAN BE USED TO COMPUTE WHAT TO
DO when perceptions are missing is required. One very simple example
of such a marginally "conscious" control system would be a chess
computer. In its internals it makes use of what it can do (the legal
chess moves) and of what it will do (its evaluation algorithm to
decide what the best move is), not only in reality -- when it has to
make the next move -- but also in phantasy -- when it contemplates
what to do when the opponent would make a certain move in a combina-
tion of six moves deep. To do so, the chess computer uses recursion.
This is procedurally akin to "isolating" the model from what goes on
right now and using the model as an isolated "black box" in phantasy
(or thought experiments, or "future worlds").
What would be other defining characteristics of this class of
problems?
Outcomes that are not immediately observable. Planning.
My two cents...
Greetings,
Hans
ยทยทยท
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Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven, the Netherlands
Dept. of Electrical Engineering Medical Engineering Group
email: j.a.blom@ele.tue.nl
Great man achieves harmony by maintaining differences; small man
achieves harmony by maintaining the commonality. Confucius