Artificial Consciousness

A Journey Beyond AI

By: James V Luisi

Narrated by: Jay Snyder

The question of artificial intelligence and how far we, as a people, should take the technology is one of our society's biggest debates at the moment; as AI generated art, texts, and even communications have increased as the technology grows altogether. The insight which each chapter provides into the concept of human consciousness and the evolution of that consciousness was so beautifully explored in this book, and the way evolution plays into the idea of adapting consciousness into the development of AI is remarkable.

This is the perfect listen for those who enjoy non-fiction books, especially those who enjoy science based non-fiction books that delve into artificial intelligence, and books which utilize a hint of philosophical discussion as well. The balance between philosophy and science is great to see in this book, as the knowledge and detailed insight the author gave into these topics was well represented in this book. The amount of time and research the author poured into this book was felt in every chapter, and showcases the amount of depth and knowledge - not only on the author's part, but in this subject as a whole.

©2024 James V Luisi (P)2024 James V Luisi

Critic reviews

The author did such an incredible job of providing a thought-provoking listen." - Pacific Book Reviews

Artificial Consciousness

I felt as though I had traveled millions of years through this book, exploring every tiny cell that evolved from the very beginning. It was a truly immersive experience, the author helped me visualize and understand how different organisms operate at various levels of consciousness in different scenarios. It’s fascinating to realize that there are 24 levels of consciousness that evolved through nine major eukaryotic evolutionary advancements. The author explains many complex topics using clear and relatable examples from a layman's perspective—like how honeybees use dance movements to remember and communicate the path to a food source, how jellyfish behave, how birds demonstrate the ability to infer other birds' thoughts, and how dolphins use intelligence to catch prey, among many others.

As a computer science professional with hands-on experience working with large language models (LLMs) and integrating business knowledge with vector databases, I found myself drawing parallels between these concepts and how LLMs learn. It made me reflect on how far artificial intelligence can go when compared to human intelligence. It’s clear that every self-organizing system in the biosphere is inherently complex, possessing its own sense of agency, free will, and the ability to pay attention—all influenced by environmental factors. While mechanical intelligence can function as intended and simulate awareness, it cannot evolve in the way biological life does, because true creativity is impossible without the freedom to choose or act independently. I’m certain this book has deepened my understanding of the evolution of consciousness, and I plan to apply some of these insights to test LLM behavior in future research.