Implications of resource limitations for a conscious machine

Abstract

A machine with human-like consciousness would be an extremely complex system. Prior work has demonstrated that the way in which information handling resources are organized (the resource architecture) in an extremely complex learning system is constrained within some specific bounds if the available resources are limited, and that there is evidence that the human brain has been constrained in this way. An architectural concept is developed for a conscious machine that is within the architectural bounds imposed by resource limitations. This architectural concept includes a resource driven architecture, a description of how conscious phenomena would be supported by information processes within that architecture, and a description of actual implementations of the key information processes. Other approaches to designing a conscious machine are reviewed. The conclusion is reached that although they could be capable of supporting human consciousness-like phenomena, they do not take into account the architectural bounds imposed by resource limitations. Systems implemented using these approaches to learn a full range of cognitive features including human-like consciousness would therefore require more information handling resources, could have difficulty learning without severe interference with prior learning, and could require add-on subsystems to support some conscious phenomena that emerge naturally as consequences of a resource driven architecture.