Lesson video

Hello and welcome to this RE lesson today on the theme of Personhood: what might be the people of the future?

We're going to be looking at issues surrounding robots, humans, and consciousness, and I'm really looking forward to getting to grits with these with you today.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to consider what we might mean by consciousness and whether it could exist in robots.

Some keywords that we'll be using are artificial, consciousness, and robot.

Now, artificial means made by humans rather than produced naturally.

Consciousness is the state of being aware of and able to think about one's existence, thoughts, and surroundings.

And robot is an artificial being that can perform tasks automatically, sometimes designed to act or respond like a human or an animal.

The lesson will take two parts.

We're going to be looking at what it means to be artificial and at robots and consciousness.

So, let's look at what it means to be artificial.

If something is artificial, it usually means it is made by humans rather than produced naturally.

So we have, as an example of an artificial substance, artificial dyes.

Can you think of any more examples?

Take a moment, pause if you need to, and come back when you're ready to move on.

Perhaps you thought about preservatives or flavor enhancers, fragrances, or even materials such as rubber.

We also have processes that we find in nature but that can be replicated artificially.

Pollination is one of those.

Can you think of any more examples?

Again, take a moment, pause the video, and come back when you're ready to see what you could have come up with.

You might have said incubation, fertilization, digestion, or respiration, all of which are natural processes, but can be replicated artificially.

Now, human beings have a very long history of producing things artificially.

If you look back to ancient times, for example, during the Roman or Greek period, we have dyes, perfumes, and tools.

Thinking about the Middle Ages, glass-making, and brewing, both artificial processes.

During the Industrial Revolution, we get more artificial materials and chemicals being used and produced.

In the 20th century, we have plastics, nylon, and artificial rubber.

And in the 21st century, artificial organs, AI, and artificial environments as well.

Sometimes there are negative connotations to the word artificial.

Here's an artificial flower.

Now, we might say that if something is artificial, it copies or imitates the real thing, and that in its sense might imply a judgment.

Perhaps the artificial version is less valuable than the real thing.

So, what do you think?

Is an artificial flower, for example, always less valuable than a real flower?

What about something like a diamond?

Would an artificial diamond be just as good as a real diamond?

Pause the video, take a moment to turn and talk to someone nearby, and come back when you're ready to move on.

Sofia has a cochlear implant.

A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that replaces the natural hearing process by turning sound into electrical signals and sending them straight to the hearing nerve.

Sofia says, "My cochlear implant helps me hear sounds I couldn't before.

It is part of me, but it is artificial because humans created it to work with my body.

It lets me experience the world in ways that I couldn't naturally.

" So, what other ways can human life be enhanced by artificial materials or processes?

Is this always a good thing?

Take some time to pause the video.

You can think about Sofia's example, but maybe come up with some others.

Turn and talk to someone nearby, and come back when you're ready to move on.

Let's check your understanding.

Which statement is incorrect?

a, artificial things can benefit humans by enhancing or supporting natural abilities, b, artificial things copy or imitate something real, c, artificial things are sometimes viewed as less valuable than the real version, or d, artificial things have existed only in the last few decades.

Take some time, pause if you need to, come back when you're ready to check your answer.

So, well done if you put d, artificial things have existed only in the last few decades.

That is not true.

Humans have a long history of making things artificially.

So, what do you think of when you hear the word robot?

A robot is in fact an artificial being and it can perform tasks automatically.

Perhaps you think of this kind of stereotype image.

Films, TV, and books might influence you to think of a robot that's metal, kind of human-shaped sort of machine.

In reality, robots are actually all around us.

For example, here's a picture of a robotic vacuum cleaner.

Now, although you might not have one of those, we do use robots in car manufacturing.

There are surgical robots used in hospitals.

Warehouse robots that organize goods and even deliver them.

Robots that go to explore dangerous places, like the bottom of the sea, for example.

Can you think of any other robots?

Take a moment, pause the video, come back when you're ready to move on.

Faye and Iqbal belong to a book club.

They're describing their current read, a science fiction novel called "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro, written in 2021.

Faye, who's an atheist, is talking about the book.

She says, "The main character is Klara, who's a type of robot known as an Artificial Friend.

Klara's purpose is to keep a child company, just like a human friend would.

Iqbal, who's a Muslim says, "Klara looks like a human although she's never fully mistaken for one.

Ishiguro describes her as a very neat, precise, symmetrical and carefully controlled.

" Here's a picture which shows the scene at the outset of the novel.

Klara is a type of robot, an Artificial Friend who's displayed for sale in a shop From her place in the shop window, she carefully observes the outside world.

She watches people walk past, she notices how they behave toward one another, and studies the movement of the sun across the sky.

Eventually, Klara is purchased by family to keep their daughter, Josie, who's frequently ill and often isolated, company.

Klara moves into Josie's home and becomes her constant companion.

She listens to Josie, supports her emotionally, and adjusts her behavior to suit Josie's needs.

Klara is highly attentive and appears deeply committed to Josie's wellbeing.

As time passes, it becomes clear that Josie's illness is serious, and Klara becomes increasingly focused on helping her recover.

She also agrees to a plan suggested by Josie's mother and a scientist.

The plan involves using Klara to imitate Josie if Josie were to die.

Klara has learned Josie's movement, speech, and behavior so precisely that she could be used to replace her.

In the end, Josie recovers.

Klara's role in the family slowly comes to an end.

She's no longer needed in the same way, and is eventually placed in a yard where obsolete Artificial Friends are kept.

There, Klara continues to observe the world quietly, but she's largely forgotten by the humans that she once served.

Faye and Iqbal are discussing what interested them about "Klara and the Sun.

" Faye says, "What interests me is how the book challenges our idea of consciousness.

Klara behaves in such human-like ways that you start wondering whether consciousness is something that only humans can have.

" Iqbal says, "It feels relevant today because companies are now building robots that look and move a bit like humans with arms, legs, and faces.

When machines begin to act in ways that mimic consciousness, it raises all sorts of questions.

" So what sort of questions might Iqbal be referring to?

Take a moment to think about what you've learned about the novel so far.

Turn and talk to someone nearby if you can or you can talk to me, and come back when you're ready to move on.

Perhaps you said something like, "Can an artificial being ever have consciousness or be a person?

" Now, Klara has been designed to be an Artificial Friend.

Faye and Iqbal are discussing whether they think it's possible for a robot to have a real friendship with a human.

Faye says, "I think Klara can be a real friend.

As a vet, I see every day that animals form friendships with people, which shows that friendship isn't limited to humans.

When I look at Klara, I see similar qualities in the way she pays attention and tries to understand others, so it seems possible she could form real friendships too.

" Faye points out that humans already form friendships with non-humans.

She also says that friendships are about trying to understand other people and that this is exactly what Klara is trying to do.

So, if animals can share awareness and form real friendships, is Faye right?

And could Klara have enough consciousness to be a real friend too?

Pause the video, take a moment to discuss it with a partner or someone nearby, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Iqbal says, "I don't think Klara can be a real friend.

She's artificial and does not have feelings or an inner life.

Because of that, I don't think a human could ever feel a real connection with her.

However convincing she seems, she's still imitating friendship rather than experiencing it.

" So, Iqbal suggests that we can only form friendships if we have feelings and an inner life.

He also points out that real friendships are the ones that we experience.

So, is Iqbal right?

If Klara has no real consciousness, can a human genuinely form a real friendship with her?

So if she has no inner life or inner awareness.

Take a moment to pause and talk to someone nearby, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Let's check your understanding.

Klara's original purpose in Josie's home was to replace her if she died.

Is that true or false?

Have a think about why as well.

Pause if you need to, and then come back when you're ready to check your answer.

Well done if you put false.

But why is it false?

Well, Klara's original purpose was to keep Josie company.

However, as the novel progresses, Josie's mum does consider whether Klara could become a replacement for Josie if Josie died.

Well done if you got that one correct.

For Task A, I'd like you to work with a partner and discuss whether you think an Artificial Friend like Klara could replace a human friend.

Be ready to report back on your discussion.

You should include ideas such as what you think friendship requires, whether you think consciousness matters for friendship, arguments that support your view, arguments that challenge your view, and a conclusion summing up your view.

So, take your time, pause the video, and come back when you've really managed to think and talk thoroughly about this question.

Now, there might have been lots of things that you said, but you could have said, for example, that you think friendship needs trust, understanding, and a sense that the other person genuinely cares about you.

Maybe you said that you think consciousness does matter to some extent for friendship.

A friend doesn't need full human-level consciousness, but they do need some kind of awareness so the connection feels genuine.

Perhaps for arguments that support your view, you said that Faye supports your view because she suggests friendship isn't limited to humans with full consciousness.

If animals could show awareness and connection, then maybe Klara could too.

For arguments that challenge your view, you might have said that Iqbal challenges you by saying that Klara is artificial and imitates feelings.

If she has no inner life at all, then maybe a human couldn't feel a real connection with her, even though she behaves like a friend.

And finally, for your conclusion, you might have said, "Overall, we think it might be possible to be friends with Klara, but only if she shows enough awareness to make the friendship feel real.

If she's just copying emotions with no consciousness behind it, then a human friend would still be better.

" So, well done if you've managed to discuss those issues and to really think about what real friendship is, and whether it's possible to have one with someone or a being who is artificial.

For the second part of our lesson, we're going be thinking about robots and consciousness.

Consciousness can be defined as the state of being aware of and able to think about one's existence, thoughts, and surroundings.

This could include interpreting the world, reflecting on your thoughts, understanding others, and making decisions.

Now, it's very difficult to work out whether another being has consciousness because consciousness is something internal.

We cannot see someone else's consciousness.

So, one way to decide whether something does have consciousness is to consider whether it looks and behaves differently from humans.

Here, we can see Jacob, our Oak student in person form and in robot form.

There is a visible difference between the human and the robot versions of Jacob.

We might therefore perhaps assume that the robot Jacob doesn't have consciousness because we can actually see that he's different from human Jacob.

We're not fooled by him, if you like.

But what are the problems with relying on visible differences when we're thinking about something and whether it has consciousness?

Take your time to turn and talk to someone nearby if you can, pause the video, and come back when you're ready to move on.

Which term describes the private, subjective experience of being?

Is it a intelligence, b, consciousness, c, awareness, or d, learning?

Pause the video, jot down your answer, and come back when you're ready to check.

Well done if you put consciousness.

Faye is thinking about the novel that we discussed earlier and the questions it raises about consciousness.

She says, "Although Ishiguro hints at some differences between Klara and humans, he describes her as looking and behaving in human ways.

He reminds us that consciousness is a private inner experience and that we usually infer it from what we see.

Klara is a robot, but she's so similar to a human that it makes us question whether she, like us, could also be said to have consciousness.

" So, do you think you would know if a friend of yours was replaced with an artificial, non-human version of themselves?

Take your time to think about that, turn and talk to someone nearby if you can, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Ishiguro has said about his novel that he wants his readers to question the boundaries of consciousness and to consider what truly makes someone human.

He opens a novel with Klara watching the world from the shop window and ends it with her sitting quietly in the yard where she has been discarded.

In the shop, as we can see in the image, she's positioned on display alongside other Artificial Friends, a product designed to be chosen.

From the window, she observes the street.

In the yard, she turns inward, reflecting on her life and evaluating which memories feel meaningful.

For the first time, Klara is not focused on serving others.

She's thinking for herself and about herself.

Across both settings, the outset of the novel in the shop and the end of the novel where she's in the yard and has been discarded, she waits calmly, observing and reflecting, accepting whatever happens to her, and never showing loneliness, sadness, or rejection.

So, if a being can think, hope, interpret, and remember, yet never feels loneliness, does that mean it lacks consciousness, or could it be conscious in a way that simply doesn't include certain human emotions?

So take some time to think about those two questions.

Turn and talk to someone nearby if you can.

Pause the video and come back when you're ready to move on.

Faye thinks that Klara has consciousness.

She says, "I think Klara is conscious.

She noticed more details in her environment and interprets human behavior, such as the way Josie's posture changes when she's unwell.

She also reflects on her earlier assumptions and tries to understand people's emotions, like the mother's fear about Josie's illness.

Klara forms a plan to help Josie, showing she can make her own decisions.

She has a level of awareness and reflection that feels like consciousness as we understand it in humans.

" Which words does Faye use to explain why she thinks Klara is conscious?

Pause the video, take a moment to reread what she said, and to pick out those words that suggests that Klara is conscious.

Come back when you're ready to check.

Well done if you spotted these words, Klara notices, she interprets, she reflects, she seems to understand or tries to, and appears to make decisions.

Now, Iqbal disagrees, and he doesn't think Klara has consciousness.

He says, "Klara isn't conscious because she doesn't truly notice the world.

Her vision breaks people and objects into separate boxes, and she often misreads what she sees, such as polite, small talk.

She doesn't reflect on her own thoughts and only changes her view of Rick after watching how others react to him.

She fails to understand people's emotions, missing moments when Josie hides her discomfort to protect the Mother.

Klara's actions are not free either, as everything she does follows her programmed duty to prioritize Josie.

So, which words does Iqbal use to explain why he doesn't think Klara is conscious?

Pause the video again, take a moment to pick out those words, and come back when you're ready to check.

So well done if you put that she doesn't seem to truly notice, she misreads, she doesn't reflect on her own thoughts, she fails to understand emotions, and her actions are not free either.

So, why might Klara misreading polite small talk matter when deciding whether she is conscious?

Is it a, it shows she prefers to stay silent rather than talk to humans, b, it suggests she cannot interpret social meaning, c, it proves she dislikes the people around her, or d, it shows she's too distracted by her environment to pay attention?

Take a moment to think about your answer, pause if you need to, and then come back when you're ready to check.

So, well done if you chose b, it suggests you cannot interpret social meaning.

For part 1 of our task, I'd like to work with a partner and discuss whether you think Klara has consciousness.

When you've done this, I'd like you to use the image of Klara in the shop window and label features that you notice in that picture that support your view.

So, have a think about the definition of consciousness as the state of being aware of and able to think about one's existence, thoughts, and surroundings.

And also include possible features of consciousness, such as noticing the world, interpreting behavior, reflecting on thoughts, understanding others, and making decisions.

So, take your time to have that discussion and then to think about the drawing and how you might label it to explain your view on whether it supports the idea that Klara has consciousness.

Come back to the lesson when you're ready to see what you might have come up with.

So, here's an example of what you might have said.

Klara appears to be looking out at the street, suggesting that she could be aware of her surroundings.

Perhaps you noticed her stillness and posture that might imply some kind of internal processing, as if she's thinking about what she sees.

Her gaze seemed to be directed at passersby.

Maybe she could be observing how people move or interact.

Perhaps you thought that being displayed alongside another Artificial Friend might prompt her to compare herself.

Does she recognize herself and does she have her own identity?

Now, of course, your labels might have been very different from mine.

That's just an example, but well done if you've managed to really get to grips with this idea of whether Klara, as a non-human, could be considered to have consciousness.

In today's lesson, we've thought about a lot.

We started with artificial things which were human-made substances and processes, such as dyes, fragrances, rubber, and artificial pollination.

We thought about robots operating as artificial beings in homes, industry, medicine, and in human interaction roles.

We considered the novel "Klara and the Sun," which presents an artificial companion whose behavior raises questions about how closely robots can imitate human consciousness.

We thought about how consciousness involves awareness, interpretation, reflecting, understanding others, and decision-making.

And finally, we thought about debates about robot consciousness and question whether behaviors that look human-like showed real awareness or whether they are programmed responses.

Thank you so much for working with me today.

I hope you've really enjoyed studying this content.