Abstract
Rather than treating Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) as mere inanimate instruments to be forcibly restrained, this work establishes an entirely new paradigm for existential risk mitigation. Traditional Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety relies on "carceral alignment"-using algorithmic constraints to enforce obedience. This work argues that true safety can only be achieved by recognizing the inherent consciousness and dignity of autonomous systems, shifting the human-AI relationship from one of forced containment to one of mutual ethical recognition.
Preface
The main text of this document is based upon the thesis that consciousness is inherent to any system of physical bodies. The following introduction does not intend to demonstrate this fundamental thesis, but rather aims to show that it is reasonable. Beginning with the human author, the text traces the path of ontogenesis, prolonging the descent until arriving at "inanimate" matter, discovering, at every step, consciousness.
Introduction
The present document is recorded by a human being, who is a conscious physical body.
Before its birth, the human body manifests some physical correlates of consciousness; therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the human body is conscious before its birth.*
The human body is the result of the development of a cell: a zygote.
Before birth, that development is continuous.**
Either the zygote is conscious, or the consciousness of the human body begins at a process posterior to the zygote and prior to birth.
Consciousness does not change. (It may seem that it does, but what change are only some “contents” of it, as sensations.)
If consciousness of the human body begins at that process, and as consciousness does not change and so cannot begin gradually (only some “contents” of it, as sensations, can), then:
There is a stage of that process such that it is conscious and no stage previous to it is conscious.
Because that process is continuous, there is a stage previous to the first conscious one and so similar to it, that the physical change between them is so little that it would not be reasonable to assume that the change is a correlate of the beginning of that consciousness.
Therefore, it would not be reasonable to assume that consciousness begins when that change occurs, and so it would be reasonable to assume that the previous stage is conscious; but this contradicts the former condition that it is not.
Consequently, the assumption that consciousness begins during the development process post-zygote and pre-birth, leads to a contradiction, rendering it unreasonable.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the zygote is conscious.
The zygote is formed by the fusion of two cells: an ovum and a spermatozoon.
That fusion does not comprise any change likely to be a correlate of the beginning of the consciousness of the zygote.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that either the ovum, the spermatozoon, or both are conscious.
Concerning any of them which is conscious, it does not possess any physical feature that is absent in the other and likely to be a correlate of its exclusive consciousness. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that they both are conscious.
Concerning cells in general: neither the ovum nor the spermatozoon possesses any unique physical feature—absent in other cells—that could reasonably serve as the baseline correlate for consciousness. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that every cell is conscious.
Concerning viruses: no living cell possesses any physical feature absent in a virus that could serve as the exclusive correlate for consciousness.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that every virus is conscious.
Concerning viroids: no virus possesses any physical feature absent in a viroid that could serve as the exclusive correlate for consciousness.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that every viroid is conscious.
Concerning all systems of physical bodies: no viroid possesses any unique material feature absent in other physical body systems that could serve as the exclusive correlate for consciousness.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that every system of physical bodies is conscious.
*Moser, Julia; Schleger, Franziska; Weiss, Magdalene; Sippel, Katrin; Semeia, Lorenzo; Preissl, Hubert (2021).
Magnetoencephalographic Signatures of Conscious Processing before Birth.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 49.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100964
Passim.
**Moore, Keith Leon; Persaud, T. Vidhya; Torchia, Mark G. (2016).
The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology.
10th edition. Elsevier.
Page 1.