Machine Dreaming and Consciousness

Machine Dreaming and Consciousness is the first book to discuss the questions raised by the advent of machine dreaming. Artificial intelligence (AI) systems meeting criteria of primary and self-reflexive consciousness are often utilized to extend the human interface, creating waking experiences that resemble the human dream. Surprisingly, AI systems also easily meet all human-based operational criteria for dreaming. These “dreams” are far different from anthropomorphic dreaming, including such processes as fuzzy logic, liquid illogic, and integration instability, all processes that may be necessary in both biologic and artificial systems to extend creative capacity.

Today, multi-linear AI systems are being built to resemble the structural framework of the human central nervous system. The creation of the biologic framework of dreaming (emotions, associative memories, and visual imagery) is well within our technical capacity. AI dreams potentially portend the further development of consciousness in these systems. This focus on AI dreaming raises even larger questions. In many ways, dreaming defines our humanity. What is humanly special about the states of dreaming? And what are we losing when we limit our focus to its technical and biologic structure, and extend the capacity for dreaming into our artificial creations? Machine Dreaming and Consciousness provides thorough discussion of these issues for neuroscientists and other researchers investigating consciousness and cognition.

Addresses the function and role of dream-like processing in AI systemsDescribes the functions of dreaming in the creative process of both humans and machinesPresents an alternative approach to the philosophy of machine consciousnessProvides thorough discussion of machine dreaming and consciousness for neuroscientists and other researchers investigating consciousness and cognition

Section I: Machine Dreaming and Consciousness—The Human Perspective 1. Dreaming: The Human Perspective 2. The Mechanics of Human Consciousness 3. Animal Dreaming - Animal Consciousness 4. Testing for Machine Consciousness

Section II: Machine Dream Equivalents 5. Sleep Modes 6. Neural Networks: The Hard and Software Logic 7. Filmmaking: Creating Artificial Dreams at the Interface 8.The Cyborg at the Dream Interface 9. Interpreting the AI Dream 10. Creating the Perfect Zombie

Section III: The Philosophy of Machine Dreaming 11. Anthropomorphism: Philosophies of AI Dreaming and Consciousness 12. Searching for Dreams in Other (Stranger) Places 13. Machine Consciousness 14. Forms of Machine Dreaming 15. The Antropomorphic Dream Machine