Machines with minds of their own

8 September 1996

Within forty years it will be possible to hold sensible discussions with machines, according to a new book called Impossible Minds: my neurons, my consciousness by neural systems expert Professor Igor Aleksander, of Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London.

The book explodes the myth that consciousness is too mysterious and complex for human understanding. Professor Aleksander believes that the principles for creating a conscious machine already exist but it will take forty years to train a machine to understand language and the ways of the human world.

Written for those who do not necessarily know anything about computing, consciousness, philosophy or psychology, this is the first book seriously to propose that a machine can help reveal the nature of consciousness. The conscious machine of future decades would itself argue that its feelings and emotions were not well-developed. Like human beings, however, it would store neurally retrievable memories of perceived sensations and consequently possess a form of artificial consciousness.

Professor Aleksnader explains that machines could employ a process he calls'Iconic Transfer' not only to learn how to use language but also how to imagine, plan, want, feel, react and attend. He further suggests that human perceptions are recorded by similar processes, throwing light on some aspects of our won consciousness. 'As technology progresses, I see a convergence between artifical and real consciousness,' he says.

Impossible Minds will be launched at the British Association Conference in Birmingham on 12 September. At 2 pm, Professor Aleksander will debate his research with Sir Roger Penrose who believes machines can never be conscious.

Professor Aleksander is convince that research into artificial intelligence will only increase our appreciation of the human mind. 'There is no need to fear the conscious machine of the year 2050, it will just be friendly, easy to use and joy to know,' he says.

-ends-

---

For further information contact:
Professor Igor Aleksander
0171 594 6188

Catherine Griffiths
0171 594 8189

---

Notes to editors:

Impossible minds: my neurons, my consciousness (ISBN 1-860-94-030-7) Price: £17HBK, 380 pages. Published by IC Press.

Igor Aleksander has been researching intelligent machinery for more than 30 years. He has published 10 books and over 200 scientific papers on the subject and leads a 20-strong research teams at Imperial College. In 1989 he became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Professor Aleksander makes frequent TV and radio appearances and has written the following best-sellers: Reinventing Man, Introduction to Neural Computing and Neurons and Symbols.