Artificial Life

primate · February 5, 2009

L.S.,

Computer simulations of genetic algorithms indicate that biological genetics actually might work and that sexual reproduction and 'survival of the fittest' are sufficient to explain all present biodiversity on Earth in terms of a strictly mechanical evolutionary process.

Some even argue that 'artificial life' has been created in a computer. In this view, a dead piece of matter (the computer) and a finite set of simple rules (the computer program) can produce life in the form of electrical currents running through the computer’s circuits.

Artificial evolution can produce complex artificial organisms, that reproduce and adapt to an artificial environment in an artificial universe. Is that life? And is the computer program the equivalent of God?

Personally I don’t agree, but it’s a tough argument to refute. The only quality that may distinguish biological life from artificial life seems to be 'consciousness'. Artificial life proponents, however, will argue that consciousness is only characteristic of highly evolved organisms such as humans and is nothing but the cognitive ability to reflect on ones own thoughts, which may ultimately evolve inside a computer in the form of artificial intelligence.

I would like to hear your thoughts on what it actually is that distinguishes biological life and consciousness from artificial life. Or are these basically equivalent phenomena that differ only in their degree of complexity?

My own hunch is that the difference must be one of 'origin'. The origin of biological life on Earth is fundamentally different from a machine containing a powerful processor and a simple rule based software program. Nevertheless, philosophically, the similarities are striking. And even if you would immediately dismiss the possibility of artificial life based on religious principles, you may give it some thought and try specify why artificial life is not possible.