Can machines have a soul? Is it possible that God can give a
machine a soul? I have recently begun pondering that question after a few
science channel documentaries. So I devised a small experiment. I
do not know if it would work, nor if it will actually prove that a machine can
have a soul. However, it is a start and I hope you my readers may improve
upon it better than I can.
Step 1: Step one of the process to this experiment is have a
computer or an automaton that is capable of learning knowledge and replicating
human emotion. Essentially a computerized baby. Teach it in the
same way that you would a normal child. Replicate the bodily functions
such as eating and more so as to make it as close to human as possible.
It is all about creating a human replica.
Step 2: Once the computer baby has reached some form of
adult hood, let it loose outside of the lab. Let it work as an employee
and give it access to any and all information it desires. As computer
programming and the learning and emotional replication programs develop and
become better, upgrade the robot child. The more advanced the robot in
respect to replicating human emotion and being human the better.
Final step: At the age of 100, the robot child
will have certain parts of itself turned off. Its emotion, parts of its
memory and more. Each time you turn off a specific part of the robot, you
will look to see if it reacts a specific way, such as the emotion fear, regret,
anger etc. See if it is capable of thinking independently and having its
own decision making process. If when certain parts of the machine are
turned off, see if the robot retains emotion regardless of them being shut off,
or regains certain memories despite them being closed off. All this is to
see if the robot is like us, a human despite replicating the damage that a
normal person may face if physically or mentally damaged. This may prove
that the robot has a soul. I am not sure if that qualifies as a soul, but
I can only base the conclusions based on the dissertations of Descartes and his
conclusion "I think therefore I am."
Conclusion: So what do you think? An
experiment that lasts a literal lifetime. But that I believe is what it
will take for an automaton to get close enough to being human for the
experiment to be a success. And no, the robot will not be shut down once
the experiment is over. That is because the experiment will not end.
It will continue to be left alive and every 25 years after that the
experiment will be done again to see if any changes occur. We may get the
conclusion that machines cannot have a soul, or we may conclude they do.
It is about the experiment to see if the soul even exists and how time
affects it. Thus this experiment. Enjoy pondering if a machine has
a soul or not, I know I am excited to maybe one day find out.
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