What Artificial Intelligence can't do (yet)

Written By Geraldine Wharry

And what’s missing from our definition of Consciousness.

I first heard of Shared Actualisation from leadership author Simon Sinek. He believes this is missing from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. It cites Self Actualisation as a need. But according to Sinek a key need is:

  • Shared Actualisation

Then a few days ago I was reading this NYT times piece explaining our pursuit of artificial Consciousness in robots. It explores what defines consciousness.

It seems there is no consensus around what it actually refers to. One of the criteria for Dr. Lipson, director of the Creative Machines Lab at Columbia University is (and of course I couldn't agree more):

  • Future visioning

"The fundamental difference among types of consciousness — human consciousness and octopus consciousness and rat consciousness, for example — is how far into the future an entity is able to imagine itself." - Hod Lipson

Here are other criteria broken down in the NYT piece:

  • Language

  • Creativity

  • Adaptability

  • Self awareness

  • Abstract Thinking

  • Physicality

But what I personally think is missing from this list (I'll take a cue from Sinek and no surprise here I started with this):

  • Shared actualisation

The truth is there are many criteria to consciousness. It can get blurry. What does it mean to you? Love, Freedom, Passion? 

YOUR CALL TO ACTION: WHAT'S CONSCIOUSNESS TO YOU? 

Here are 3 questions about consciousness for you to explore: 

  1. Think of your own consciousness. How does it feel as a physical sensation?

  2. What consciousness do you manifest in your work?

  3. What's a small action you can take today to be a 'conscious' human? 

Personally, 1 is raised warmth, 2 is shared actualisation in the Trend Atelier, 3 is smiling to strangers today (one of my favourite things, always love the response). 

As always, I'd love to know what you think and feel. Hit me up here to start a conversation. 

This article first appeared in my January 2023 futuring dispatch (Newsletter). To become a member, click here.

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    Geraldine Wharry

    Geraldine Wharry is one of the world's leading Futurist specialising in Strategic Foresight, Regenerative Leadership, Speculative Design and Futures Literacy for the creative industries and Fashion.

    Trusted for her futures leadership by organisations ranging from Nike, Seymour Powell, Samsung to Christian Dior, Geraldine’s strategic insights have been applied across fashion, beauty, technology, sustainability, culture, media, gaming, the arts, health, travel and industrial design. Geraldine helps partners envision bold futures with forward-thinking and emergent insights and strategies while leveraging creative, systemic and environmental imperatives.

    Geraldine is also a writer, regular speaker on stages ranging from SXSW to the Adidas global headquarters and lecturer at leading universities. As a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts and a member of the United Nations ' Conscious Fashion & Lifestyle network, Geraldine Wharry's mission is to inspire leaders, industries and people to enact visionary futures, for the greater good of the people and planet.

    http://www.geraldinewharry.com/
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