[tree_of_item]

> 2. The software can't recognize a feather if it's never seen a feather like that. It's not a sentient being.

Why did this word "sentient" sneak in to your comment? I don't see what "sentience" has to do with what you just described; it's just a more sophisticated form of pattern matching.

"See, it can't do this! It's not self-aware!" is almost never the correct answer, because whatever thing it is you want to do will probably be solved in the future with more of the same techniques. Just about the only thing "sentience" or self-awareness is good for is an entity's private experience, which you wouldn't ever be able to see anyway.

[tim333]

I think sthlm's thinking that people as in:

>People read news articles like "X can recognize cats...

may assume sentience when it's not there

[adrianN]

I don't think "sentience" is a sufficiently precise term to enable us to judge whether it's there or not.

[kiliantics]

"Doesn't look like anything to me"