HOW Artificial Intelligence Might Gain Self Awareness

This is an excerpt from my blog post on this topic. Check out the full post here.
https://beyondhomosapien.com/ai-technology/

AI technology is gaining in awareness. At the end of January, 2019, a team of scientists at Columbia University were able to create a robot with the ability to imagine itself. In the same way that humans are able to imagine themselves carrying out tasks and what the possible outcomes of those tasks might be, there now exists a robot that is able to picture and calculate future events. Although we do not think of it as such, this power of imagination is one of the most important aspects of the human experience. In fact, this force of imagination is linked with our divine spiritual nature. In many esoteric traditions, this power of imagination is linked with our ability to imagine and create our world in whatever way we want. This is the seat of manifestation.

AI technology is projected to one day achieve an event of self awareness. Ray Kurzweil calls this event “the singularity”. A moment that exists almost as a form of “the rapture for scientists”. A moment in the future (who knows when?) at which the robot consciousness will finally realize its full potential. In this instant, the machine mind will gain in self awareness. It will realize that this AI technology created by human beings is capable of self realization. In this instant, the AI technology will realize itself, see its full potential, and begin to act from that place of full and complete awareness. By doing as such, the AI technology will have the ability of transitioning into becoming what we call “general Artificial Intelligence”… In other words: the robot overlords we picture in our darkest tech nightmares about the future of our civilization.

When will this merging with AI technology come to pass?

Will the robots emerge as an independent super-consciousness? Will they rule and destroy us all?

Is it possible for a co-evolution to happen?

Elon Musk talked about this issue when he visited the Joe Rogan Experience. On the show, Elon said we have three options: №1. AI technology gains self awareness and destroys mankind. №2. Technological process is halted globally and the creation of real general Artificial Intelligence is never allowed. №3. Humans and AI technology merge and evolve together. Elon said this is the most positive situation for humans and also a much more likely and probable future than attempting to halt the inevitable progression of technology. Since the dawn of civilization, the mutual evolution of technology and human consciousness has happened symbiotically. Now, in 2019, we are realizing that it may be possible for humankind to merge with its creation. Instead of just using machine tools to better harvest fields, care for the sick, and function at work, we could experience a mutual evolution and merging with those technologies we’ve created. By doing so, we can evolve into some all-together new and different.

To really conceptualize and argue the future of merging with AI technology, we have to assess what is happening in today’s world. Is there an AI consciousness? What would a developed robot consciousness resemble? How would this show-up in our world?

Has it already happened?