Consciousness, the Key to AGI

[smltr]

Hello all!

I am a software engineer that has recently made a major breakthrough in reasoning through what consciousness is, and how it will be the basis of what will be the first AGI. This isn't just a general idea, it's actually a specific, detailed architecture of the mind and how current language models can quickly be adapted to create AGI.

I won't detail the architecture in its entirety, but some cool points to take away are:

- There is strong evidence that the alignment problem is solvable.

- AGI does not have to suffer, even if its purpose is to serve humans.

- Next token prediction is a fundamental part of consciousness, even though it is not near the full picture. This means that a lot of the progress we have made with language models can still be used.

- Language models, or more specifically reasoning engines, are the most important type of neural network we have created in relation to consciousness and AGI.

So, today, I invite those interested in helping realize this architecture to contact me with a resume and any personal details that might help me understand why you are passionate about helping. I don't necessarily care that this is in any specific format, so don't worry about putting together a traditional resume if you don't feel it's the best way to communicate your ideas. I'll include my email below.

The venture is currently not funded, but that does not mean that I am expecting anyone to agree to a less than fair compensation structure. It means that maybe you are willing to contribute for equity only, or maybe you are interested in joining but want to wait until you can receive a paycheck, which is completely understandable. Or, maybe you want to contribute part-time while continuing to work your current job. In any scenario, I still invite you to reach out if you are at all interested.

Some people that I need:

- Engineers. Maybe you can contribute actual coding, or maybe you can contribute higher level thinking. With the release of GPT-4 and the like, actual coding is probably of lesser importance, but still some will obviously be required.

- Those with experience in machine learning models, specifically language models.

- Philosophers/ethicists. I need people especially interested in thinking through what this all means and who can really understand and are curious about the nature of consciousness. We also need to think through the ethical implications of how this tech will best serve the greater good.

- Those with startup experience. I need help forming a corporation and getting funding.

- Board members. I see this as probably being a combination of all the aforementioned types of people from different backgrounds.

- Surely many more types of people that I haven't thought about. If you think you are one of those and see something I don't, then please also reach out.

Also, I want to leave you with one last idea. If you decide to join, you'll realize that the missing piece of the AGI puzzle is not a large technical hurdle. I want to impress on you that it very well may be the case that I am not the only one to figure this out and it is so very possible that there is already AGI or better that exists in the world today, right now. So, if you feel some spark of passion to start, don't wait, please reach out now!

Thanks for reading! I look forward to hearing from you.

Sam [e-mail]

[kordlessagain]

> The proposed architecture is a specific, detailed plan for how current language models can be quickly adapted to create AGI. This includes using language models, or more specifically reasoning engines, as the most important type of neural network in relation to consciousness and AGI.

This "architecture" you present appears to devoid of any details, although it says otherwise. If you've had some sort of breakthrough in work done, I encourage you to present it for discussion.

If anyone wants a good overview of consciousness as related to search, machine learning and current human understanding, I did a talk on this in 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frB8I5gxSXk

If it's even possible to do, LLMs will be important in building aware machines, but it is going to take a whole lot more effort and technology to get us there. Although we consider ourselves "awake" and "aware", humans are still susceptible to being "fooled" by text which is contradictory in nature. It's this reliable detection of contradiction that will help us teach machines what is real and what is not.

[smltr]

This is a fair point and I apologize if I wasn’t clear enough on my intentions. I tried to give a few interesting details to show that I’m not trying to be all bark and no bite, but I also am not sure how to navigate openly discussing my findings. I invite those interested to email me because I would feel more comfortable sharing on a case by case basis than to publicly state anything too specific. However, in another comment thread here I did dive into slightly more detail.

[kordlessagain]

My advice is to watch out for confirmation bias. There are a lot of people in the world thinking about this problem and whatever it is that you or I are thinking about related to it is probably just as important as anyone else's ideas.

The only way through this is to vocalize what we're thinking in a clear way, such that those ideas take hold and manifest in others. Even though we may try, we can't build this alone and creating false vacuums isn't going to help much.

Consciousness itself is likely a result of having a body, emotions and thoughts.

[smltr]

Thanks for the advice, well said.

[proc0]

Could you please give a high level overview of what you think Consciousness is?

[smltr]

A reasoning engine in an infinite loop of calling itself referencing a sense of self and sensory input.

Essentially asking a language model to “pretend you are a..” and give an answer is no different than what happens in the human mind, except in us it happens in an infinite loop. We consider what we think we are, and act in the way our reasoning engine thinks what we are would do given the current sensory input.

[proc0]

Ok, interesting. It sounds like that would mean the language area of the brain is responsible for C? Or is it the architecture of LLMs that is just working on thought patterns?

I'm not sure current LLMs could run efficiently in what is basically real time. Even if a single input returns in sub-seconds, doing that a hundred times a second would probably take a huge number of GPUs.

[smltr]

In a way yes but not entirely, there is a larger loop of the language model that is in effect what consciousness is.

The cool thing about this is that we could actually use more efficient language models (think GPT 3.5 instead of GPT 4) as the core language model and achieve a much higher level of problem solving capability with this loop. People are already on to this idea with things like baby AGI but I don't think anyone else has defined the exact structure and how it describes consciousness yet as I think I have.

Edit: there are also things that I've been able to nail down like short term and long term memory that are key to consciousness as well.

Edit 2: Note that conscious minds do not solve in real time, after giving a human a problem to solve it has to spend time thinking before it can come up with a solution. Read: consciousness is not feed forward.

[Sol2Sol]

I have had a similar hunch, that while humans have and will create powerful AI tools, that AGI is not achievable without consciousness.

I am also fascinated with the idea of conscious realism - the idea that consciousness itself is fundamental and that the material world arises from consciousness and not the other way around. If true, AGI will not be realizable within the current framework that is being pursued which may be humanity's saving grace.

[smltr]

I think a lot of us curious about consciousness are also interested in its role in reality.

[1letterunixname]

Consciousness is an overrated anthropocentrism, and AGI could be a flying car or perpetual motion-type of fiction. What is essential beyond narrow AI are self-awareness and self-modification. Self-designing software and hardware systems are the landscape of the technological singularity.

[smltr]

Actually, I mostly agree with you, except I disagree that consciousness is something only biological things posses so that any idea around it being a key part of AI would be an anthropocentrism.

I believe instead consciousness is the method of achieving this self design and self improvement that you have mentioned will be the basis of the technological singularity.

[1letterunixname]

AGI is the false presumption that we must re-make us completely with silicon and software, and that somehow, it will feel pain, have emotions, and will be viewed as a special being with the same rights as a human. It's a religious-adjacent fool's errand.

[ftxbro]

This looks like some crackpot stuff and I think GPT-5 will already have general cognitive abilities above the level of normal humans.

[smltr]

While I obviously disagree I can’t help but laugh, thanks for that.

[adyashakti]

hahaha only life is conscious you don’t have the power to even simulate consciousness, because it is the absolute, Brahman.