Is Human Mind Replicable?

As babies and toddlers, we are curious and attracted to all things that generate strong visual and auditory stimuli. We are also able to draw inferences and correlations purely based on our interactions with a few objects or events. We solve problems by trials and experimentations which is not unsimilar to the hypothesis tests we do for scientific studies and algorithmic machine learning. As we mature, we form a more concrete mind map of the world; our confidence and dependence on our own beliefs get stronger and we stop questioning most things in life. Almost simultaneously, our learning speed slows down and we find it harder to generate new ideas. What does this mean for computer scientists? Given enough technological progression in machine learning, the best artificial intelligence would and should mimic the brain of a human baby — one that is capable of continuous learning, adapting and evolving, except that it will never slow down and stop generating new ideas.

Moreover, just like a computer’s CPU, our brain is largely consisted of several “hardware” parts — cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and brainstem. Given the advancement we have witnessed in computer science and bioengineering lately, it’s safe to assume that we will be soon — if not already — capable of creating a computing system that is the perfect replica of a human brain.

The question is, however, will the resulted artificial brain — an artificial mind powered by sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms — be capable of replacing the human brain in its entirety, theoretically or practically?

Personally, I think the short answer is no. I believe that we cannot replace the human brain with an artificial brain, no matter how sophisticated the algorithms might be, how extensive the memory data might be and how exquisite the engineering might be, without replicating what we would call the human consciousness.

Personally, I think the biggest problem is that there is no person other than ourselves that can attest the authenticity of our consciousness. “I think therefore I am” is a subjective statement. The subjectivity of consciousness, therefore, prevents itself being explained — therefore replicated — by objective science.

Understanding human consciousness will be a long and difficult journey, but it will also be a worthy one. The insight might lead us to the key of solving mental diseases like schizophrenia and Alzheimer. It will also enable us to create smarter and more efficient machines. Most importantly, it will help us realize the full potential of our mind, push the limit of our intelligence, and achieve a new level of collective enlightenment.

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