Can machines be conscious?
IEEE Spectrum May 29, 2008 DOI: 10.1109/mspec.2008.4531463 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractWithin a generation, people may have the option to upload their minds—thoughts, memories, and personality—to a computer, offering an alternative to death. Once consciousness is reduced to electronic patterns, it could be copied, edited, sold, pirated, bundled with other minds, or deleted. The text raises the question of whether one would sell their soul on eBay, framing the ethical and practical implications of digital immortality and the commodification of consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Soul Upload Consciousness Hang Computer science |
| Citations | 134 |
| Key finding | The possibility of mind uploading within a generation raises issues of ownership, privacy, and commodification of consciousness. |
Abstract
Would you sell your soul on eBay? Right now, of course, you can't. But in some quarters it is taken for granted that within a generation, human beings-including you, if you can hang on for another 30 years or so-will have an alternative to death: being a ghost in a machine. You'll be able to upload your mind-your thoughts, memories, and personality-to a computer. And once you've reduced your consciousness to patterns of electrons, others will be able to copy it, edit it, sell it, or pirate it. It might be bundled with other electronic minds. And, of course, it could be deleted.