It is possible to design and build a conscious machine.
The objective of the MECA SAPIENS project is to develop the blueprint of a conscious machine. MECA SAPIENS is an on going project. This site publishes the blueprint as it evolves.
The desire to build a conscious machine is not recent. Almost as soon as the first computers became available, a generation of researchers attempted to design and build intelligent machines. They defined a new field of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and expected to reach the fundamental objective of creating an intelligent machine within a few years. However, the goal turned out to be harder than anticipated. After some early success, progress ground to a halt. Eventually, the focus of AI research shifted to endeavors having a narrower focus as implementing Expert systems, Artificial Vision and Robotics. Eventually, the early attempts at implementing machine intelligence were largely forgotten in favor of these, more realistic, objectives.
However, the dream of building a truly intelligent machine lies at the very heart of the human quest for knowledge. It cannot be cast aside. Even when common wisdom held that this goal was unachievable, it continued to exert a powerful pull. Some years ago, I explored, with growing interest, the fundamental goal of Artificial Intelligence. After some investigations, I became convinced that machine consciousness was indeed both definable and achievable. I also perceived the outline of a programmable solution to implement it.
The time has now come to flesh out these early intuitions and to transform them into a workable blueprint. I am well aware that there is a wide gap between early intuitions and a complete solution. However, I believe this gap can be bridged.
In the course of the next few years, I plan to produce a programmable definition of consciousness and to complete a blueprint by which it can be achieved. This is the MECA SAPIENS project. When it is completed, it will provide a usable guide from which to build a conscious machine.
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