03. Consciousness and intelligence

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First of all it is necessary to give clear definitions to the notions which we intend to reproduce. Intelligence and consciousness are two different notions. Technologically our perception of the world is divided into two components – perception of information (consciousness and sensations) and information processing (intelligence).


Definition of intelligence

Intelligence is the mechanism and principles of information processing by way of selection of an appropriate (stored in memory) result or action. Functions and objectives solved by artificial intelligence are the processing of information with the help of associative, logical and mathematical models. The areas of application are: calculations, comparison, identification, self-teaching, analysis, forecasting and reaction in accordance with the pre-set instruction.

Artificial intelligence is based on information; signal in digital technologies is a package of bits spread across time. In analogue technologies it is the change of voltage between wires also proceeding in the course of time. In principle, the creation of artificial intelligence similar to the human intelligence with the help of computer hardware is possible. It will be able to solve tasks or move like a living being. A computer will not feel and perceive itself, but for the repetition of such functional it is not required.

There is an example with the so called Chinese Room of John Searle which shows a purely mechanical nature of operation of a computer. But there is a simpler example. Imagine a wooden sieve with meshes of different form - circles, triangles, polyhedrons – and similar wooden parts. When the parts matching the meshes are delivered to the sieve and each part goes through different meshes one by one starting with the smallest ones, in the end each part will fall through its mesh. The whole computer logic is based on this principle – the comparison of the signal with the result pre-set in the memory, and causing of respective actions. But again – such way of operation does not give sensation. Neither the sieve, nor the computer know or understand what they do. They simply sort the information.



Definition of consciousness

Consciousness in its technical functional definition is a condition for the displaying of sensations, the environment, the background in relation to which they emerge and for whom they exist. Both of these parameters – sensation and consciousness – are inseparable parts and do not exist without one another. Both consciousness and sensation are of not substantial but functional nature. If there is no consciousness, there is nothing in relation to which sensation could emerge. If there is no sensation consciousness does not exist functionally. Sensation is the attribute of consciousness. In one consciousness there might be a variety of sensations, but one and the same sensation can not exist in a number of consciousnesses. They might be qualitatively identical, but quantitatively they are different.

Consciousness, the definition of “Ego” – from the technical point of view – is not memory, not personality and not the whole complex of the human life. A human being may get memory damage and forget everything: who he or she is, where they are from, loose habits, forget the language and forget how to think. They may be put into the environment which does not give any signals to the receptors. But they can be considered animate, alive as long as the ability to perceive alone remains. Consciousness is what they perceive at the moment. The perception itself might be simple or complex depending on the structure delivering values to consciousness, whereas the parameters of even a complex consciousness might significantly differ from the format which we are used to.

Natural intelligence is based on sensation. First the human being perceives some tint of feeling, and intelligence works with these sensations – thoughts, images, emotions. It is sensations that serve as processing signals.
This is just what the developers of artificial intelligence leave out of account. In order to create intelligence similar to that of a human being it is necessary to create sensations and something in relation to which these sensations are manifested, i.e. consciousness. First we feel a thought. This is the main difference between the technologies described herein and any other developments concerning artificial intelligence, artificial neural networks, expert systems and other spheres.


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Intelligence may operate without consciousness and perception and self-perception connected with it, like state-of-the-art computer models of artificial intelligence.

Also consciousness may exist without intelligence. For example, in people with memory damages or other brain damages who perceive a sensation but can not process and understand it.

Only in the event of combination of these two functions a result similar to the result of operation of our brain can be achieved. The simplest perception exists everywhere in the natural and physical world. On the perception and interaction with each other of carriers of fundamental physical links any process in the inanimate nature is based. Without it the world would never exist. The possibility of use of the most available interaction – electric interaction – and the complication of these simplest perceptions of one signal by another signal up to the level of our feelings, as well as the definition of difference between the notion of the virtual and the real – this is described in subsequent chapters.