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Sunday, September 05, 2010
 
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ConsScale - Measuring Machine Consciousness
Levels Cognitive Skills

ConsScale Cognitive Skills

ConsScale Levels Cognitive Skills

Out of the set of cognitive functions that an intelligent agent could potentially exhibit, the following group of functions specifically characterizes the behavior of a conscious agent: Theory of Mind (ToM), Executive Function (EF), and the modulating function of emotions.

In order to arrange key cognitive functions across incremental levels of artificial consciousness we have considered the synergy produced by their interrelation. Specifically, we consider the following bio-inspired composition and ordering (see related papers for details):

  • From the point of view of emotions:
    • Emotion.
    • Emotion + Feeling.
    • Emotion + Feeling + Feeling of a Feeling.
    • Emotion + Feeling + Feeling of a Feeling + Fake emotions.
  • From the point of view of perception and action:
    • Perception.
    • Perception + Adaptation.
    • Perception + Adaptation + Attention.
    • Perception + Adaptation + Attention + Set Shifting.
    • Perception + Adaptation + Attention + Set Shifting + Planning.
    • Perception + Adaptation + Attention + Set Shifting + Planning + Imagination.
  • From the point of view of ToM (Theory of Mind):
    • “I know”.
    • “I know” + “I know I know”.
    • “I know” + “I know I know” + “I know you know”.
    • “I know” + “I know I know” + “I know you know” + “I know you know I know”.

 

Our aim is to represent in the scale the synergy that emerges from the composition of these cognitive functions, giving place to higher potential levels of consciousness as they are integrated into a situated agent.

The following table summarizes the cognitive skills considered at each ConsScale level:

ConsScale Level Cognitive Skills (CSi,j)
Level 2. Reactive. CS2,1: Fixed reactive responses (“reflexes”).
Level 3. Adaptive.

CS3,1: Autonomous acquisition of new adaptive reactive responses.
CS3,2: Usage of proprioceptive sensing for embodied adaptive responses.

Level 4. Attentional.

CS4,1: Selection of relevant sensory information.
CS4,2: Selection of relevant motor information.
CS4,3: Selection of relevant memory information.
CS4,4: Evaluation (positive or negative) of selected objects or events.
CS4,5: Selection of what needs to be stored in memory.
CS4,6: Trial and error learning. Re-evaluation of selected objects or events.
CS4,7: Directed behavior toward specific targets like following or escape.
CS4,8: Evaluation of the performance in the achievement of a single goal.
CS4,9: Basic planning capability: calculation of next n sequential actions.
CS4,10: Depictive representations of percepts.

Level 5. Executive.

CS5,1: Ability to move back and forth between multiple tasks.
CS5,2: Seeking of multiple goals.
CS5,3: Evaluation of the performance in the achievement of multiple goals.
CS5,4: Autonomous reinforcement learning (emotional learning).
CS5,5: Advanced planning capability considering all active goals.

Level 6. Emotional.

CS6,1: Self-status assessment (background emotions).
CS6,2: Background emotions cause effects in agent’s body.
CS6,3: Representation of the effect of emotions in organism (feelings).
CS6,4: Ability to hold a precise and updated map of body schema.
CS6,5: Abstract learning (learned lessons generalization).

Level 7. Self-Conscious.

CS7,1: Representation of the relation between self and perception.
CS7,2: Representation of the relation between self and action.
CS7,3: Representation of the relation between self and feelings.
CS7,4: Self-recognition capability.
CS7,5: Advance planning including the self as an actor in the plans.
CS7,6: Use of imaginational states in planning.
CS7,7: Learning of tool usage.

Level 8. Empathic.

CS8,1: Ability to model others as subjective selves.
CS8,2: Learning by imitation of a counterpart.
CS8,3: Ability to collaborate with others in the pursuit of a common goal.
CS8,4: Social planning (planning with socially aware plans).
CS8,5: Ability to make new tools.

Level 9. Social.

CS9,1: Ability to develop Machiavellian strategies like lying and cunning.
CS9,2: Social learning (learning of new Machiavellian strategies).
CS9,3: Advanced communication skills (accurate report of mental content).
CS9,4: Groups are able to develop a culture.

Level 10. Human-Like.

CS10,1: Accurate verbal report. Advanced linguistic capabilities.
CS10,2: Ability to pass the Turing test.
CS10,3: Ability to modify and adapt the environment to agent’s needs.
CS10,4: Groups are able to develop a civilization and advance culture and technology.

Level 11. Super-Conscious. CS11,1: Ability to manage several streams of consciousness.

 

ConsScale - ConsScale Levels

ConsScale++

ConsScale in the Media

Immortal avatars: Back up your brain, never die

New Scientist 2763

New Scientist. 05 June 2010. Cover Story. pp. 28-31.

The topic of mind uploading is addressed in the cover story of this New Scientist issue. ConsScale is quoted as an practical tool to really assess to what extent artificial avatars can be considered as conscious as ourselves.

Related Links

www.Conscious-Robots.com is a website about Machine Consciousness and Cognitive Robotics. The Test for Consciousness forum is the place for open discussion about ConsScale and other metrics for consciousness.

Conscious Robots Website