Emergence of Self-Organized Symbol-Based Communication \ud in Artificial Creatures

In this paper, we describe a digital scenario where we simulated the emergence of self-organized symbol-based communication among artificial creatures inhabiting a \ud virtual world of unpredictable predatory events. In our experiment, creatures are autonomous agents that learn symbolic relations in an unsupervised manner, with no explicit feedback, and are able to engage in dynamical and autonomous communicative interactions with other creatures, even simultaneously. In order to synthesize a behavioral ecology and infer the minimum organizational constraints for the design of our creatures, \ud we examined the well-studied case of communication in vervet monkeys. Our results show that the creatures, assuming the role of sign users and learners, behave collectively as a complex adaptive system, where self-organized communicative interactions play a \ud major role in the emergence of symbol-based communication. We also strive in this paper for a careful use of the theoretical concepts involved, including the concepts of symbol and emergence, and we make use of a multi-level model for explaining the emergence of symbols in semiotic systems as a basis for the interpretation of inter-level relationships in the semiotic processes we are studying

Principles for Consciousness in Integrated Cognitive Control

In this article we will argue that given certain conditions for the evolution of bi- \ud ological controllers, these will necessarily evolve in the direction of incorporating \ud consciousness capabilities. We will also see what are the necessary mechanics for \ud the provision of these capabilities and extrapolate this vision to the world of artifi- \ud cial systems postulating seven design principles for conscious systems. This article \ud was published in the journal Neural Networks special issue on brain and conscious- \ud ness

Using simulations and artificial life algorithms to grow elements of construction

'In nature, shape is cheaper than material', that is a common truth for most of the plants and other living organisms, even though they may not recognize that. In all living forms, shape is more or less directly linked to the influence of force, that was acting upon the organism during its growth. Trees and bones concentrate their material where thy need strength and stiffness, locating the tissue in desired places through the process of self-organization. We can study nature to find solutions to design problems. That’s where inspiration comes from, so we pick a solution already spotted somewhere in the organic world, that closely resembles our design problem, and use it in constructive way. First, examining it, disassembling, sorting out conclusions and ideas discovered, then performing an act of 'reverse engineering' and putting it all together again, in a way that suits our design needs. Very simple ideas copied from nature, produce complexity and exhibit self-organization capabilities, when applied in bigger scale and number. Computer algorithms of simulated artificial life help us to capture them, understand well and use where needed. This investigation is going to follow the question : How can we use methods seen in nature to simulate growth of construction elements? Different ways of extracting ideas from world of biology will be presented, then several techniques of simulated emergence will be demonstrated. Specific focus will be put on topics of computational modelling of natural phenomena, and differences in developmental and non-developmental techniques. Resulting 3D models will be shown and explained

Envisioning Cyborg Hybridity Through Performance Art: A Case Study of Stelarc and His Exploration of Humanity in the Digital Age

In this paper I argue that artistic representation has historically been and continues to be a valuable medium for envisioning new bodily forms and for raising important questions regarding changes in what it means to be human in an era of rapid technological advancement. I make this claim using Stelarc, an eccentric Australian performance artist, as a case study. Stelarc’s artistic exploration of the modern-day cyborg enacts and represents philosophical and ontological concepts such as identity, hybridity, and embodiment that are subject to change in the digital age. In order to arrive at this claim, Chapter 1 will trace the cyborg back to its use in 20th century Dada art. I do this to demonstrate how artists have historically depicted shifts in human subjectivities along with their changing technological landscapes. In Chapter 2, I define more precisely what the “cyborg” means for the 21st century and outline a selection of cyborg narratives pertaining to futurist lines of thought. Here I introduce Donna Haraway’s conception of the cyborg but return to it more extensively in Chapter 3. Chapter 3 examines the scientific and philosophical context of Stelarc, beginning with a discussion of the Extended Mind Hypothesis as a neurological background or frame of reference for his art. It continues with a close look at Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto as a philosophical foundation that Stelarc engages with in his performance pieces. Chapter 4 gives a thorough background on Stelarc and the central themes he explores throughout his work. Chapter 5 closely analyzes two of his pieces, Prosthetic Head and Ear on Arm, in order to explore how his art both enacts and moves beyond Haraway’s cyborg as he questions and blurs notions of embodiment, awareness, prosthesis, and ‘natural.’ Chapter 6 summarizes my argument and concludes with remarks about the importance of Stelarc, our relationship to technology, and the new technological implications of what it means to be human

From Brave New World to Ready Player One; yesterday's dystopias as tomorrow's utopias

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the evolution of literary utopias and dystopias in light of what I consider to be the new master narrative of post-humanism. The inspiration for this project has been Yuval Noah Harari’s Homo Deus (2017), which details some of the challenges and opportunities we might face in the future. This thesis will therefore explore the themes of his work and try to assess how this technological and ideological development changes our perception of an ideal society. I start this project by clarifying utopia and dystopia, before delving into a history of post-humanist ideology up to the present moment. This thesis then attempts a reading of Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley and Ready Player One (2011) by Ernest Cline. This reading of these two works will be a twofold attempt, where a comparison of traditional liberal humanist readings will be compared to post-humanist understandings. What this hopefully highlights is how post-humanism changes the definitions of what constitutes utopias and dystopias. Finally, I want to compare the two works and hopefully glean new insights about how post-humanism redefines ideal visions and ideal societies and avoiding the dangers of both utopias and dystopias in the post-human age

The Nexus between Artificial Intelligence and Economics

This book is organized as follows. Section 2 introduces the notion of the Singularity, a stage in development in which technological progress and economic growth increase at a near-infinite rate. Section 3 describes what artificial intelligence is and how it has been applied. Section 4 considers artificial happiness and the likelihood that artificial intelligence might increase human happiness. Section 5 discusses some prominent related concepts and issues. Section 6 describes the use of artificial agents in economic modeling, and section 7 considers some ways in which economic analysis can offer some hints about what the advent of artificial intelligence might bring. Chapter 8 presents some thoughts about the current state of AI and its future prospects.