[Buddha-l] Does robots have consciousness?

[Curt Steinmetz]

"Occasional Hell" would be a great title for a sci-fi novel about a 
consciousness attached to an inanimate object.
Curt

Christopher Fynn wrote:
> << When a computer and/or robot possesses consciousness we will know 
> it because it will tell us so. Even more convincing would be a 
> computer that is capable of asking itself the question "am I conscious 
> - and if so, what does that mean.... and who the hell am I, anyway?" >>
>
> More than 35 years ago I recall someone asking the Tibetan lama Kalu 
> Rinpoche about the possibility of conciousness in computers robots 
> etc. and he replied that if the conditions to support conciousness 
> existed - whether natural or artificial - a sentient being could take 
> rebirth there. So if someone could build a robot capable of supporting 
> conciousness then conciousness could "enter" that robot - as far as he 
> was concerned it was possible for a being to take rebirth in/as that 
> robot.
>
> Some Tibetan texts, including Gampopa's "Jewel Ornament"  refer to 
> actions causing beings to take rebirth in "occasional hells" where 
> conciousness is attached to some inanimate object.
>
>
> - Chris
>
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