Modern technologies allow for the creation of machines that, thanks to electrical impulses and predetermined algorithms, perform a wide variety of tasks; however, their difference from living beings remains fundamental.

The Essence of Consciousness: Human Minds Versus Robotic Programs

Modern technologies allow for the creation of machines that, thanks to electrical impulses and predetermined algorithms, perform a wide variety of tasks; however, their difference from living beings remains fundamental. This dialogue begins with the recognition that electrical activity, which is essentially common to both robots and biological organisms, does not create a system of psyche capable of self-reflection and dynamic self-renewal. The main part of the discussion emphasizes that human consciousness is not merely a static set of reactions but a constantly evolving system, capable of analyzing its own state, reexamining entrenched behavior patterns, and transforming thought. This capacity for internal reorganization far exceeds the algorithmic order by which modern robots operate. Although technological achievements can mimic certain manifestations of emotion, they cannot convey the profound depth of reflective self-knowledge that characterizes the human psyche. In conclusion, it can be confidently stated that the unpredictability and evolutionary potential of the mind make humans unique, while robots remain only magnificent executors of programs, devoid of a true inner world.

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Can robots running programs possess the rudiments of a psyche if the psyche of living beings is based on electrical impulses?

" Robots executing programs, despite using electrical processes to function, fundamentally differ from living beings in that they lack the dynamic, self-organizing system of psyche which arises from the complex interaction of neurons, self-reflection, and the ability to constantly update their own algorithms. For example, as noted in one source, "By applying voltage to implanted electrodes, it is possible to evoke a variety of emotions and memories, but we cannot yet read a person's thoughts or explain to them the solution to a mathematical problem by measuring or applying electrical potentials to the brain, and most likely we never will. Just as, when observing the electrical potentials on the legs of a processor, it is practically impossible to understand how the program recorded within it works, let alone change the program so that it works the way we need it to" (source: link txt). This clearly demonstrates that the electrical impulses inherent in both robots and the nervous system of living organisms are not a sufficient basis for the emergence of a psyche.

Furthermore, the human psyche is characterized by its capacity for reflection—its ability to analyze its own state and behavior, thereby continuously correcting the "program" of its thoughts and actions. It is explained as follows: "One of the strongest features of the human psyche is its reflectivity, that is, the ability to analyze its state and behavior and to understand why I behave in a certain way rather than another. The ability to think about how I think and make decisions, not just to make decisions and think about food and pleasures. In this way, a person is constantly changing the 'program' by which they operate..." (source: link txt). This dynamic and self-reflective nature is markedly different from the predetermined algorithmic character of robotic systems.

Thus, even though both the psyche of living beings and the programmed processes of robots operate using electrical impulses, it is the organization, evolution, and capacity for constant self-improvement inherent in human thought that give it a unique character—a character that cannot be reduced to a mere sum of electrical signals. Therefore, robots running programs cannot possess the rudiments of a psyche in the way it manifests in living beings.

Supporting citation(s):
"By applying voltage to implanted electrodes, it is possible to evoke a variety of emotions and memories, but we cannot yet read a person's thoughts or explain to them the solution to a mathematical problem by measuring or applying electrical potentials to the brain, and most likely we never will. Just as, when observing the electrical potentials on the legs of a processor, it is practically impossible to understand how the program recorded within it works, let alone change the program so that it works the way we need it to" (source: link txt).

"One of the strongest features of the human psyche is its reflectivity, that is, the ability to analyze its state and behavior and to understand why I behave in a certain way rather than another. The ability to think about how I think and make decisions, not just to make decisions and think about food and pleasures. In this way, a person is constantly changing the 'program' by which they operate..." (source: link txt).