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Beyond Zero and One: Machines, Psychedelics, and Consciousness
Can we build a robot that trips on acid? This is not a frivolous question, according to neuroscientist Andrew Smart. If we can’t, he argues, we haven’t really created artificial intelligence.
In an exposition reminiscent of crossover works such as Gödel, Escher, Bach and Fermat’s Last Theorem, Andrew Smart weaves together Mangarevan binary numbers, the discovery of LSD, Leibniz, computer programming, and much more to connect the vast but largely forgotten world of psychedelic research with the resurgent field of AI and the attempt to build conscious robots. A book that draws on the history of mathematics, philosophy, and digital technology, Beyond Zero and One challenges fundamental assumptions underlying artificial intelligence. Is the human brain based on computation? Can information alone explain human consciousness and intelligence? Smart convincingly makes the case that true intelligence, and artificial intelligence, requires an appreciation of what is beyond the computational.
In an exposition reminiscent of crossover works such as Gödel, Escher, Bach and Fermat’s Last Theorem, Andrew Smart weaves together Mangarevan binary numbers, the discovery of LSD, Leibniz, computer programming, and much more to connect the vast but largely forgotten world of psychedelic research with the resurgent field of AI and the attempt to build conscious robots. A book that draws on the history of mathematics, philosophy, and digital technology, Beyond Zero and One challenges fundamental assumptions underlying artificial intelligence. Is the human brain based on computation? Can information alone explain human consciousness and intelligence? Smart convincingly makes the case that true intelligence, and artificial intelligence, requires an appreciation of what is beyond the computational.
268 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
15 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Smart
2 books40 followersAndrew Smart is the author of Autopilot: The Art and Science of Doing Nothing. A scientist and engineer interested in consciousness, brains and technology, his work traverses the boundaries of neuroscience, philosophy, culture, radical politics and metaphysics. He was raised in the U.S., educated and married in Sweden, lived in New York and Minneapolis and now lives in Switzerland.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 15, 2015
A very interesting argument for the strong AI consciousness project which ties in a lot of seemingly disparate areas. Intelligently discusses the necessity of LSD or psychedelics without the usual 'hippy' or spiritual rhetoric.
November 7, 2020
While the premise was intriguing enough to get me to pick up the book -- and recommendations from Douglas Rushkoff and Erik Davis on the back jacket were enough to get me to buy it -- this was a pretty worthless reading experience. That's a shame, because as a thought experiment, it is indeed fascinating to consider that if some kind of artificial intelligence achieves consciousness, then in what ways might we alter and expand that consciousness through a psychedelic experience. As Smart is smart enough to point out, a lot of this hinges on our ideas about "consciousness" in the first place, but ultimately not knowing what consciousness is. But all the "what if's" are too big and never addressed in a clear way in this jumble of a circuitous book that simply forestalls real engagement with its central investigation/assertion. 9/10s of the book are given over to background information that doesn't adequately inform the thought experiment.
There are too many problems with this book for me to spend much time addressing them, so I'll just mention two that seem to me part of a larger trend and indeed of systemic inadequacies emerging at the intersection of computer science, neuroscience, and psychedelic research:
1) the exclusion of the humanities in such research. Though Smart ends up saying, "This book is philosophical," he consistently dismisses philosophical inquiry, particularly in university settings. These manifest as snide dismissals of PhD defenses, page count in other books, and even the rigor of citational practice. But more deeply, the arts and literature and music all have tremendous insights to offer the fields of research outlined above, and they will have more to teach us about what AI might or might not do; this is particularly important if we are to become better equipped for not only the arrival of artificial intelligence but for the recognition of cognition beyond "intelligence," such as artificial consciousness, artificial empathy, and artificial imagination (if our androids are ever, in fact, to dream of electric sheep).
2) the psychedelic experience is being over-simplified and oversold as a consistent gateway to positive, transformative change. If we look at how it's been addressed and documented in history, literature, music, cinema, and art, psychedelics are a mixed bag and highly unreliable. Sometimes, psychedelic experience is simply mundane. At other times, it is the equivalent of turning up the sensory special effects. It has apparently amplified egomania as much as shattered it (cf. Leary). And at times, it can be harrowing. This is not simply a question of anti-psychedelic propaganda. People have bad trips. Psychedelics unlock underlying neurological and mental problems. Smart wants to propose that giving an emergent machine consciousness some form of psychedelic experience or its equivalent would be a way to make sure that AI are empathic and won't just kill off all humans and other biological lifeforms. That conclusion isn't at all warranted, and the question I kept wanting to ask is, what if our AI gets a hold of the equivalent of Woodstock's infamous "brown acid"?
Adequate consideration of how a virtual model of psychedelic compounds would work in a computing environment is completely sidestepped. This makes the whole book feel like a little meaningless game with no real consequences. Except one, included in a footnote -- Andrew Smart is pitching for research funds after having failed to entice the Future of Life Institute to fund this line of inquiry. No wonder, if this book is any indication, because it's a poorly designed project that amounts to: let's dose the AI and see what happens.
SO, I would recommend avoiding this book. Maybe take a look at Nicolas Langlitz's "Neuropsychedelia," Richard Doyle's "Darwin's Pharmacy," or William Richard's "Sacred Knowledge." None of these deal with the overlap of psychedelics and AI, but they do provide a deeper look at how psychedelic research must involve the humanities and liberal arts. I suggest that we must incorporate that before going off on hare-brained thought experiments about AI and psychedelics, which like most theoretical claims for AI and machine consciousness are overblown fantasies with little connection to present-day reality.
There are too many problems with this book for me to spend much time addressing them, so I'll just mention two that seem to me part of a larger trend and indeed of systemic inadequacies emerging at the intersection of computer science, neuroscience, and psychedelic research:
1) the exclusion of the humanities in such research. Though Smart ends up saying, "This book is philosophical," he consistently dismisses philosophical inquiry, particularly in university settings. These manifest as snide dismissals of PhD defenses, page count in other books, and even the rigor of citational practice. But more deeply, the arts and literature and music all have tremendous insights to offer the fields of research outlined above, and they will have more to teach us about what AI might or might not do; this is particularly important if we are to become better equipped for not only the arrival of artificial intelligence but for the recognition of cognition beyond "intelligence," such as artificial consciousness, artificial empathy, and artificial imagination (if our androids are ever, in fact, to dream of electric sheep).
2) the psychedelic experience is being over-simplified and oversold as a consistent gateway to positive, transformative change. If we look at how it's been addressed and documented in history, literature, music, cinema, and art, psychedelics are a mixed bag and highly unreliable. Sometimes, psychedelic experience is simply mundane. At other times, it is the equivalent of turning up the sensory special effects. It has apparently amplified egomania as much as shattered it (cf. Leary). And at times, it can be harrowing. This is not simply a question of anti-psychedelic propaganda. People have bad trips. Psychedelics unlock underlying neurological and mental problems. Smart wants to propose that giving an emergent machine consciousness some form of psychedelic experience or its equivalent would be a way to make sure that AI are empathic and won't just kill off all humans and other biological lifeforms. That conclusion isn't at all warranted, and the question I kept wanting to ask is, what if our AI gets a hold of the equivalent of Woodstock's infamous "brown acid"?
Adequate consideration of how a virtual model of psychedelic compounds would work in a computing environment is completely sidestepped. This makes the whole book feel like a little meaningless game with no real consequences. Except one, included in a footnote -- Andrew Smart is pitching for research funds after having failed to entice the Future of Life Institute to fund this line of inquiry. No wonder, if this book is any indication, because it's a poorly designed project that amounts to: let's dose the AI and see what happens.
SO, I would recommend avoiding this book. Maybe take a look at Nicolas Langlitz's "Neuropsychedelia," Richard Doyle's "Darwin's Pharmacy," or William Richard's "Sacred Knowledge." None of these deal with the overlap of psychedelics and AI, but they do provide a deeper look at how psychedelic research must involve the humanities and liberal arts. I suggest that we must incorporate that before going off on hare-brained thought experiments about AI and psychedelics, which like most theoretical claims for AI and machine consciousness are overblown fantasies with little connection to present-day reality.
September 13, 2017
Beyond Zero and One is a very original and extraordinary book. Andrew Smart starts from the premise that if we wish to create an artificial intelligence of at least the human level, it will need to be endowed with consciousness. To test whether an AI is indeed conscious, Smart proposes a variant of the Turing test, which he has baptized the Turing acid test. Smart is of the opinion that because psychedelic substances strongly change the conscious experience, we can use this notion to our advantage by giving an AI a digital equivalent of LSD.
The book shows us that there are mechanisms by which the normal flow of electrons in computer circuitry can be perturbed when hardware problems arise and when the voltage that usually represents the 0 or 1 gets stuck in between. Most interestingly when such glitches occur, software safety protocols based on "The Byzantine Generals Problem" still fail.
With Smart we make a journey through time from the inventor of binary calculation (Leibniz) to the implementation thereof in computer circuitry by Turing. We dive deeply into the realm of the subjective experience from Plato to Dehaene and Searle.
But most essentially the book is an inquiry into the nature of consciousness and a refreshing counter current in the prevailing hype that consciousness will one day be computed. As Smart lucidly shows in fact not even computers really "compute", although he does not exclude that consciousness might emerge in computers. Not only is virtual LSD proposed as a technique to test for the presence of consciousness in machines, Smart also argues that it may take away the edge of the potential AI "threat".
A visionary exploration beyond zero and one, which I genuinely enjoyed and wholeheartedly recommend!
The book shows us that there are mechanisms by which the normal flow of electrons in computer circuitry can be perturbed when hardware problems arise and when the voltage that usually represents the 0 or 1 gets stuck in between. Most interestingly when such glitches occur, software safety protocols based on "The Byzantine Generals Problem" still fail.
With Smart we make a journey through time from the inventor of binary calculation (Leibniz) to the implementation thereof in computer circuitry by Turing. We dive deeply into the realm of the subjective experience from Plato to Dehaene and Searle.
But most essentially the book is an inquiry into the nature of consciousness and a refreshing counter current in the prevailing hype that consciousness will one day be computed. As Smart lucidly shows in fact not even computers really "compute", although he does not exclude that consciousness might emerge in computers. Not only is virtual LSD proposed as a technique to test for the presence of consciousness in machines, Smart also argues that it may take away the edge of the potential AI "threat".
A visionary exploration beyond zero and one, which I genuinely enjoyed and wholeheartedly recommend!
April 20, 2016
This is an unusual book, in a small pocket-sized format that reminds me of the old science fiction doubles pocket books. Apart from their small size, these books had a special trick up their sleeve, because when you flipped them over, the back was a cover for a different book - each copy held two books, starting from opposite ends. Beyond Zero and One may be a single title, but it too has very different topics that Andrew Smart wants to convince us go naturally together: artificial intelligence and the drug LSD.
As we go, in a rather rambling fashion, in the first topic, Smart takes us through the nature of artificial intelligence, how likely it is that computers could become truly intelligent and/or conscious and explores a little of the nature of consciousness himself. As far as the second goes, we get a really interesting description of his one and only LSD trip, details of its chemical structure and possible method of the drug's operation, its history and how it has been used. However, these two parts to the book are not structurally separate, but interwoven.
So what's going on here? Why are these two apparently unconnected things together? Because Smart believes that an LCD experience is not a true hallucination, but rather an opening up of the subjective side of our perception. He thinks that the ability to have this kind of altered perception is a fundamental aspect of consciousness (I think - his arguments are not all very clear), and as such, if we could give LSD to a supposed AI (he doesn't propose a mechanism for doing this, as there would be much point simply dripping the chemical substance into it), then it would give us great insights into the nature of consciousness and intelligence. Quite why, I'm not really sure.
Each of the two significant parts of the book has some genuinely interesting bits. I didn't know much about LCD, and that aspect is highly informative, while some of the sections on intelligent computers are genuinely fascinating. When, for example, Smart counters the assurance of the likes of Ray Kurzweil that true AI is just around the corner and will be stable and problem free, Smart points out the dangers of Byzantine faults, which stress error correction mechanisms to the point of collapse and could ensure that any computer capable of intelligence was unable to run without failure.
The problem with the book is that it is difficult to uncover any good reason for putting the two topics together. Smart makes arguments from the Kantian idea that we can't perceive reality, just a subjective model of it. This is clearly true to a degree. For example, what we see as our visual field, looking out on the world, is assembled from a set of inputs of things like shapes and shades - it's not a camera view, which is why optical illusions occur and we don't notice saccades where our eyes jerk around. However Smart has a tendency to go too far with this to asserting that perceptions are no different from hallucinations, as our waking experience is a construct of the brain.
The trouble with this approach is that we have far too good an agreement over how we interpret what we perceive for it to be subjective enough to draw the parallels that Smart makes. For example, he says that colour does not exist outside our brains saying 'the redness of the apple is entirely constructed in your brain.' In reality it's only partly constructed in the brain. The colour of an object is a response to the energy of photons it emits - in the case of this apple, they are in the range of the spectrum identified as red. The fact that the red light is far more intense on a sunny beach than on your desk on a rainy day, which Smart uses to suggest that colour is purely subjective, is about number of photons, not photon energy. And that is not subjective.
In making the steps he has to take to link his topics, Smart goes too far in attempting to show that all perception is subjective. We all, after all, agree that what perceive as a cliff is a cliff. It's not subjective, and anyone who argues otherwise is welcome to walk off it to prove otherwise. There are also rather too many assumptions made. At one point, for instance, Smart claims that 'a strong AI would have to be conscious' - but he doesn't justify this in the face of, for instance, the evidence that the vast majority of brain activity is unconscious.
I was also a little worried that someone writing a book with computing at its heart could make as fundamental an error as to say that the IBM Watson computer has '80 teraflops of memory and 15 terabytes of RAM.' No - RAM is memory, and teraflops is a measure of the number of floating point operations the computer can make in a second: it has nothing to do with memory.
Despite the flaws in the book, there's much to get you thinking about the nature of artificial intelligence and consciousness (plus that second topic of LSD, which is also eye-opening if you have no experience of the culture that might use it). Beyond Zero and One is a thought provoking book - it's just that a fair amount of the time, the thoughts provoked may not be in agreement with those the author wants to promote.
As we go, in a rather rambling fashion, in the first topic, Smart takes us through the nature of artificial intelligence, how likely it is that computers could become truly intelligent and/or conscious and explores a little of the nature of consciousness himself. As far as the second goes, we get a really interesting description of his one and only LSD trip, details of its chemical structure and possible method of the drug's operation, its history and how it has been used. However, these two parts to the book are not structurally separate, but interwoven.
So what's going on here? Why are these two apparently unconnected things together? Because Smart believes that an LCD experience is not a true hallucination, but rather an opening up of the subjective side of our perception. He thinks that the ability to have this kind of altered perception is a fundamental aspect of consciousness (I think - his arguments are not all very clear), and as such, if we could give LSD to a supposed AI (he doesn't propose a mechanism for doing this, as there would be much point simply dripping the chemical substance into it), then it would give us great insights into the nature of consciousness and intelligence. Quite why, I'm not really sure.
Each of the two significant parts of the book has some genuinely interesting bits. I didn't know much about LCD, and that aspect is highly informative, while some of the sections on intelligent computers are genuinely fascinating. When, for example, Smart counters the assurance of the likes of Ray Kurzweil that true AI is just around the corner and will be stable and problem free, Smart points out the dangers of Byzantine faults, which stress error correction mechanisms to the point of collapse and could ensure that any computer capable of intelligence was unable to run without failure.
The problem with the book is that it is difficult to uncover any good reason for putting the two topics together. Smart makes arguments from the Kantian idea that we can't perceive reality, just a subjective model of it. This is clearly true to a degree. For example, what we see as our visual field, looking out on the world, is assembled from a set of inputs of things like shapes and shades - it's not a camera view, which is why optical illusions occur and we don't notice saccades where our eyes jerk around. However Smart has a tendency to go too far with this to asserting that perceptions are no different from hallucinations, as our waking experience is a construct of the brain.
The trouble with this approach is that we have far too good an agreement over how we interpret what we perceive for it to be subjective enough to draw the parallels that Smart makes. For example, he says that colour does not exist outside our brains saying 'the redness of the apple is entirely constructed in your brain.' In reality it's only partly constructed in the brain. The colour of an object is a response to the energy of photons it emits - in the case of this apple, they are in the range of the spectrum identified as red. The fact that the red light is far more intense on a sunny beach than on your desk on a rainy day, which Smart uses to suggest that colour is purely subjective, is about number of photons, not photon energy. And that is not subjective.
In making the steps he has to take to link his topics, Smart goes too far in attempting to show that all perception is subjective. We all, after all, agree that what perceive as a cliff is a cliff. It's not subjective, and anyone who argues otherwise is welcome to walk off it to prove otherwise. There are also rather too many assumptions made. At one point, for instance, Smart claims that 'a strong AI would have to be conscious' - but he doesn't justify this in the face of, for instance, the evidence that the vast majority of brain activity is unconscious.
I was also a little worried that someone writing a book with computing at its heart could make as fundamental an error as to say that the IBM Watson computer has '80 teraflops of memory and 15 terabytes of RAM.' No - RAM is memory, and teraflops is a measure of the number of floating point operations the computer can make in a second: it has nothing to do with memory.
Despite the flaws in the book, there's much to get you thinking about the nature of artificial intelligence and consciousness (plus that second topic of LSD, which is also eye-opening if you have no experience of the culture that might use it). Beyond Zero and One is a thought provoking book - it's just that a fair amount of the time, the thoughts provoked may not be in agreement with those the author wants to promote.
March 23, 2025
Hugely underated, Beyond Zero and One is a thought-provoking exploration of the intersection between technology, philosophy, and the human experience. The author takes readers on a journey that challenges the binary thinking often associated with the digital age, encouraging a deeper understanding of the complexities of existence, identity, and reality in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, data, and machine learning.
One of the most engaging aspects of the book is its ability to blend technical concepts with philosophical reflections. The author does not shy away from delving into the implications of AI and digital technologies on our perception of self and society. Whether it's examining the ways in which algorithms influence our behavior or questioning the role of human consciousness in an increasingly automated world, the book offers insightful commentary that is both accessible and intellectually stimulating.
The writing is clear and concise, yet rich in ideas. It addresses both the potential dangers and opportunities that lie ahead as technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. The philosophical musings are grounded in real-world examples, making them relatable and easy to understand even for readers without a deep technical background.
At its core, Beyond Zero and One is about transcending the limitations imposed by binary thinking. The book encourages readers to move beyond the idea that things can only be categorized as one or zero, right or wrong, human or machine. It invites us to consider the nuances and complexities that exist in the spaces between, urging us to embrace a more holistic view of the future.
However, the book does require a certain level of engagement from its readers. The abstract ideas and philosophical discussions, while fascinating, can be challenging at times. For those who are new to these topics, some sections may require careful reading and reflection.
In conclusion, Beyond Zero and One is a captivating and intellectually enriching read for anyone interested in the future of technology, the nature of consciousness, and the philosophical questions raised by our increasingly digital world. It's a book that invites readers to think critically about where we are headed and the kind of world we want to create.
One of the most engaging aspects of the book is its ability to blend technical concepts with philosophical reflections. The author does not shy away from delving into the implications of AI and digital technologies on our perception of self and society. Whether it's examining the ways in which algorithms influence our behavior or questioning the role of human consciousness in an increasingly automated world, the book offers insightful commentary that is both accessible and intellectually stimulating.
The writing is clear and concise, yet rich in ideas. It addresses both the potential dangers and opportunities that lie ahead as technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. The philosophical musings are grounded in real-world examples, making them relatable and easy to understand even for readers without a deep technical background.
At its core, Beyond Zero and One is about transcending the limitations imposed by binary thinking. The book encourages readers to move beyond the idea that things can only be categorized as one or zero, right or wrong, human or machine. It invites us to consider the nuances and complexities that exist in the spaces between, urging us to embrace a more holistic view of the future.
However, the book does require a certain level of engagement from its readers. The abstract ideas and philosophical discussions, while fascinating, can be challenging at times. For those who are new to these topics, some sections may require careful reading and reflection.
In conclusion, Beyond Zero and One is a captivating and intellectually enriching read for anyone interested in the future of technology, the nature of consciousness, and the philosophical questions raised by our increasingly digital world. It's a book that invites readers to think critically about where we are headed and the kind of world we want to create.
September 7, 2019
Cool book with a cool concept. Follows in the tradition of Timothy Leary’s late-in-life work of marrying the world of psychedelic research with the world of technology and contemplating how the two seemingly disparate areas of study can actually be veins of the same post-transhuman landscape that is seemingly just on the horizon of human endeavors. Although his work comes off as much less preachy and much more analytical than Leary ever was when gracing these topic. And while that can come across as less exciting and much less passionate of a voice, it is, on the other hand, much more accessible and much more ingestible to the average reader, and the “uninitiated”... the readers who might just pick up the book because they words “artificial intelligence” and “neural network” piques their interest over the letters “LSD”.
The only reason I gave this book a 4 star rating over a 5 star rating is because at times this analytical, clinical, dry standpoint from which he tackles these subjects can at times make fore analytical, clinical, dry reading. Although I did find every chapter of this book very interesting and very compelling. And even though I am pretty well-verses on both topics of artificial intelligence and technology (at least as far as a layperson goes) as well as LSD and the psychedelic experience in general (much less of a layperson and much more of an expert on this subject than the former) I found myself both learning new thing I didn’t know on the tech side of this book, as well as considering some compelling concepts I hadn’t otherwise contemplated on the psychonautical side of the book.
Overall, a very enjoyable non-fiction interlude in my fiction after fiction after fiction after fiction reading schedule of the past 2 years.
The only reason I gave this book a 4 star rating over a 5 star rating is because at times this analytical, clinical, dry standpoint from which he tackles these subjects can at times make fore analytical, clinical, dry reading. Although I did find every chapter of this book very interesting and very compelling. And even though I am pretty well-verses on both topics of artificial intelligence and technology (at least as far as a layperson goes) as well as LSD and the psychedelic experience in general (much less of a layperson and much more of an expert on this subject than the former) I found myself both learning new thing I didn’t know on the tech side of this book, as well as considering some compelling concepts I hadn’t otherwise contemplated on the psychonautical side of the book.
Overall, a very enjoyable non-fiction interlude in my fiction after fiction after fiction after fiction reading schedule of the past 2 years.
August 8, 2023
A mind-bending journey where circuits meet consciousness. Picture this: AI and psychedelics engaged in a tango of enlightenment, with each turn of the page revealing a new dimension of thought. The author weaves together science, philosophy, and a touch of magic to create a symphony of ideas that will leave you pondering the universe's most enigmatic questions. It's like having a late-night conversation with your favorite AI while sipping mushroom tea in a digital wonderland.
The pages are a tapestry of insights and revelations, leaving you questioning reality itself. Are we just ones and zeros, or is there more to the story? So is reality and consciousness hallucinations? How sure are we we're on zero yet to be turned on?
The pages are a tapestry of insights and revelations, leaving you questioning reality itself. Are we just ones and zeros, or is there more to the story? So is reality and consciousness hallucinations? How sure are we we're on zero yet to be turned on?
January 1, 2022
The book presents and discusses fascinating questions about the nature of consciousness in biological systems and the possibilities and barriers for creating machine consciousness. Although no answers are provided, the book draws connections between ideas in philosophy, neuroscience and computer science. My favourite part of the book was the philosophical discussion of observer-independent and observer-relative facts followed by the ontological and epistemological questions about the nature of consciousness. My favourite quote is by John Searle: “Observer relativity implies ontological subjectivity, but ontological subjectivity does not preclude epistemic objectivity.”
August 4, 2017
This was a nice counterpoint to the excesses of contemporary AI hype. While a bit repetitive at times, it clearly illustrated some biological constraints on things like attempts to simulate a human brain, which people like Bostrom and Hanson appear to take as an inevitability. It was also better researched in terms of how computers actually work than something like Bostrom's book, which was fairly clueless in that regard. Not perfect, but certainly thought-provoking and a worthwhile read.
July 25, 2018
Una bellissima lettura per chi ama e/o è interessat* alle seguenti parole chiave: coscienza, intelligenza artificiale, LSD, superintelligenza.
Dico perché l'autore riesce a combinare tutto in una visione originale e interessantissima
Dico perché l'autore riesce a combinare tutto in una visione originale e interessantissima
October 7, 2018
The idea that the Turing Test should be substituted for a psychedelic Turing Test was intriguing, but the two thoughts of AI and psychedelics never really combined, leaving this feeling like two separate books that were pasted together.
January 9, 2020
I like this book. Andrew Smart delves into questions of difference between consciousness, intelligence and AI and relationship between these and doing this using example of psychedelics in a novel way.
November 11, 2020
Some of the reviews here offer valid critiques of the project of this book, but I generally found it to be an interesting, brief intro to questions of consciousness that plague (explicitly or not) current conceptions of AI.
January 15, 2020
Interesting questions. Unsatisfying answers.
February 4, 2020
Really unique perspective on consciousness and AI. The idea of having to alter consciousness to observe consciousness is pretty incredible and helps think about AI differently.
January 13, 2024
Kant, A.I., V.R., L.S.D.
Immanuel Kant ( synthetic conscious experience )
". . For me this is where LSD enters the picture. It turns out that human consciousness is likely itself a form of hallucination. As I have said, it is a very useful hallucination, but a hallucination nonetheless. LSD and psychedelics may help reveal our normal everyday experience for the hallucination that it is. This insight has been argued about for centuries in philosophy in various forms. Immanuel Kant may have been first to articulate it in modern form when he called our perception of the world "synthetic."
The fundamental idea is that we do not have direct knowledge of the external world.
This idea will be repeated often in this book, and you will have to get used to it. We only have knowledge of our brain's creation of that world for us. In other words, what we see, hear, and subsequently think are like movies that our brain plays for us after the fact. These movies are based on perceptions that come into our senses from the external world, but they fictions of our brain's creation. In fact, you might put the disclaimer "based on a true story" in front of each experience you have. I do not wish to are still imply that I believe in the homunculus argument-what philosopher Daniel Dennett describes as the "Cartesian Theater"-the hypothetical place in the mind where the self becomes aware of the world. I only wish to employ the metaphor to illustrate the idea that there is no direct relationship between the external world and your perception of it.
There is no such tiny "Cartesian Theater" in the brain; conscious experience is generated by a vastly complex, distributed network that synchronizes and adjusts its activity by the millisecond. As far as we can tell, certain patterns of activity in this distributed network give rise to conscious experience. But fundamentally, this network's activity is self-contained and the feeling of a unified flow of consciousness you have is not just from the processing of sensory information. The experience you have right now is a unique creation of your brain that has transformed data from your body into something closer to a hallucination. To break down this seemingly obvious point that we will deal with very often in this book and that I myself struggle to experience is real, but the contents of this experience exist only in your brain.
. . . Some philosophers call this "irreducible subjectivity," which means that no totally objective theory of human experience may be possible. The contents of your experience are not representations of the world, but your experience is part of the world. By altering this process with molecules like psilocybin or lsd we can become aware of different aspects of our perceptions. By perturbing consciousness and observing the consequences, we can gain insight into it's normal functioning. This is again not to say that consciousness is not real; there can be no doubt that I am conscious as I write this srntence. However, it is the relationship between consciousness and the external world that is more mysterious than one might assume."
- Beyond Zero and One, intro chapter
- A.I. Theorists
Ray Kurzweil
Daniel Dennett
Roger Penrose
Miguel Nicolelis
Leonid Perlovsky
Riccardo Manzotti
Stanilas
Immanuel Kant ( synthetic conscious experience )
". . For me this is where LSD enters the picture. It turns out that human consciousness is likely itself a form of hallucination. As I have said, it is a very useful hallucination, but a hallucination nonetheless. LSD and psychedelics may help reveal our normal everyday experience for the hallucination that it is. This insight has been argued about for centuries in philosophy in various forms. Immanuel Kant may have been first to articulate it in modern form when he called our perception of the world "synthetic."
The fundamental idea is that we do not have direct knowledge of the external world.
This idea will be repeated often in this book, and you will have to get used to it. We only have knowledge of our brain's creation of that world for us. In other words, what we see, hear, and subsequently think are like movies that our brain plays for us after the fact. These movies are based on perceptions that come into our senses from the external world, but they fictions of our brain's creation. In fact, you might put the disclaimer "based on a true story" in front of each experience you have. I do not wish to are still imply that I believe in the homunculus argument-what philosopher Daniel Dennett describes as the "Cartesian Theater"-the hypothetical place in the mind where the self becomes aware of the world. I only wish to employ the metaphor to illustrate the idea that there is no direct relationship between the external world and your perception of it.
There is no such tiny "Cartesian Theater" in the brain; conscious experience is generated by a vastly complex, distributed network that synchronizes and adjusts its activity by the millisecond. As far as we can tell, certain patterns of activity in this distributed network give rise to conscious experience. But fundamentally, this network's activity is self-contained and the feeling of a unified flow of consciousness you have is not just from the processing of sensory information. The experience you have right now is a unique creation of your brain that has transformed data from your body into something closer to a hallucination. To break down this seemingly obvious point that we will deal with very often in this book and that I myself struggle to experience is real, but the contents of this experience exist only in your brain.
. . . Some philosophers call this "irreducible subjectivity," which means that no totally objective theory of human experience may be possible. The contents of your experience are not representations of the world, but your experience is part of the world. By altering this process with molecules like psilocybin or lsd we can become aware of different aspects of our perceptions. By perturbing consciousness and observing the consequences, we can gain insight into it's normal functioning. This is again not to say that consciousness is not real; there can be no doubt that I am conscious as I write this srntence. However, it is the relationship between consciousness and the external world that is more mysterious than one might assume."
- Beyond Zero and One, intro chapter
- A.I. Theorists
Ray Kurzweil
Daniel Dennett
Roger Penrose
Miguel Nicolelis
Leonid Perlovsky
Riccardo Manzotti
Stanilas
May 2, 2017
I just finished reading Beyond Zero and One: Machines, Psychedelics, and Consciousness. The author proposes giving LSD to AI to really determine whether it is conscious. The idea being if humans can realize they are conscious by stepping outside of themselves by altering their state of consciousness, then that would be the "Turing-Acid Test" for machines as well.
It's a fascinated subject and line of inquiry, but I was hoping for some answers as to how that would be possible.
I guess I'll have to write the sequel myself ;)
It's a fascinated subject and line of inquiry, but I was hoping for some answers as to how that would be possible.
I guess I'll have to write the sequel myself ;)
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