Can a machine think? Before this class and the experience of building even just a simple robot, i had thought that it was definitely not possible. However, by delving deep into some of the theories and philosophies supporting the technological advancements in A.I. and Programming, my opinion has started to sway.What has become clearer to me is the way in which information can be received, translated and enacted by ‘artificial’ systems. In realising that maybe the technology of, say, deep learning or intuitive systems are not only modelled from biological structures of the brain but are beginning to closely resemble the workings of individual neurone nodes in the human mind; it is seeming like only a matter of time before the two binaries, natural and artificial, real and fake, human and non-human become so blurred and indistinguishable. Speaking from the experience of working as a part of a team building a robot, albeit a beginner-level fighting LEGO robot, the possibilities of such technology are outstanding. From working in the Open Roberta Lab, creating basic line-tracking codes to working out how mathematical commands would equate to variations of movement from the robot. This interesting process allowed us to see just how simple, how clear our thoughts could become to execute our intentions. This kind’ve thinking is what really started to change my opinion, as i felt by seeing how the ‘mind’ of our robot would process our commands, it gave me an insight into what could actually be possible with much more advanced technology. 

Where my doubts still lay, however, is in the concepts of ‘feeling’ that we strongly agreed on as being a big part of not only thinking like a human but being human. Sure, our robot can ‘feel’ light, sound and garner a sense of space through the sensor devices, but beyond these environment perceptions, I still cannot see how the robot might be able to have a bad day, lose sleep over what someone said, fall in love with someones scent, apply the profound incite of someone you have a conversation with on the bus to your own life etc. I just cant shake the belief that so much of what makes me me, are the intangible, moments of emotion and feeling that practically dictate my entire life. I can’t help but think as we watch our robots battle in the test rounds that they really don’t have any fear or sympathy for their opponents. Sure they bash, stab and barge like they’re out to eliminate everything in their sight but it is simply the code unravelling. Any time the code glitches and doesn’t quite run as smooth as we want it too, i secretly hope that the robot is able to pick up where it left off and follow its own will; maybe to keep fighting or maybe to throw in the towel, maybe if it knew we were being marked on it’s performance it would try a bit harder. It is these things, these nuance that so strongly affect us without us even knowing that make us human. Sure, a machine can think, it can achieve any task it sets it’s mind too but its the un-thoughtfulness, forgetfulness and stupidity that gives humans that capability of being human.    

Daivd