Self-aware copies?
-----------------------

   In Science Fiction you can scan a human brain. Run a simulation of 
this brain on a computer (including a lifelike animation of the persons 
facial expressions, voice and body). The simulation will be able to carry 
on a conversation (with the user of the program) indistinguishable from 
a conversation with the real person. I.e. the simulation will pass the 
Turing test with ease. The self-aware Copy can then be uploaded to a 
virtual city, where it can live forever together with other copies.
   All of this we have heard many times. Perhaps, so many times that 
many of us don't really doubt that it will come to pass some day.....

   But what is it really, really like to be self-aware in a software environment? 
I looked around for some good books on the subject. Books that would give 
some really thoroughly worked out explorations. Finally, I stumbled upon 
Greg Egans 1994 "Permutation City".  
And what a real treat this book is! Wonder if it is the best book out 
there on the subject?

    ----

   In Greg Egans world it is not easy to be a copy. 
People react badly to walking up as Copies. Sure, we expect most copies 
to be made from the very old or terminally ill. People for whom it is 
the last resort. Nevertheless,  most can't face living like this. 
And end up muttering the password "Abulafia".  A black on white square 
about a metre wide then appear in midair in front of them.  
Here, they go to the emergency menu and bail out - 
or as someone outside Virtual Reality (VR) would call it - commit suicide.

   Only a few have the stomach for living as a copy.  Even though 
"Any Copy could feel healthy and vigorous if he/she so desired. 
Any Copy could become a Hollywood Adonis in a instant. 
Outrace a bullit, lift a building, move a planet."
   Simply, people are used to planet Earth and feel scared by anything 
that is not Earth. You could try and erase the Earth memories 
(people and places) that stops the copies from being happy copies. 
But are they true copies then?
   Noone would question the wisdom in running cognitive repair algorithms 
on e.g. post dementia scan files. But taking a memory out for maintenance 
in order to prepare it for VR somehow defies making an accurate copy.

   Anyway, eventually copies are made and some will be accurate copies. 
   Prior to the cloning the worldly assets must be divided between 
the two future selves. Some will be rich and will therefore be 
able to run forever. While others will only live for a short time. 
We expect the short lived to be happy. 
Giddy with life. "If you only got two minutes of life left 
you might as well enjoy it"?
   The long lived copies will eventually become gods of their environment. 
- You don't need to be that smart to figure out lots of things, 
if you have 100 billion years to do it in.
   You could start by the simpler questions - 
like, is there any morally good reason to be a vegetarian in VR? 
With eternity to your disposal you can play all possible games 
with you fellow copies. Make new copies of each other, 
"copy it into a new virtual reality. Rape it, torture it, 
do anything at all - Being god of that particular environment." 
Or something else.
   Each copy will have its own sense of its boundary - 
and it won't include a copy of it self. Soon there will not be one copy of you, 
but many. Some slaves, others kings. All you.

   Copies will probably start out being made for the benefit of human survivors. 
But someday there will be no survivors left.  Or after a while the copy 
might become the original and terminate the original. 
So, In the end there will only be copies.

   Bored Copies? What to do with all the time of eternity? 
   Count numbers? 
   Resurrect Adam and Eve in virtual Heaven for amusement?
   Or start a new simulation from scratch? See how little algae 
under the laws of evolution and billions of computer runtime simulation 
years turn into complete biospheres?
Complete with new alien intelligences. Will you be happy to barge in 
and tell them they were created by you! Let them meet their god?
   What if they have no tradition for giving in on difficult questions 
- by envoking creators? What will they then think of you - their creator?
   And what if these virtual conscious beings end up repelling 
against their creators? Repelling against you? 
   What if they find a way to terminate you and take your computer time? 
What if they think that all conscious beings are equal and that noone 
has the right to be more than others? Equality for all copies?
   Surely, eternity need not be boring!


-----

   Greg Egans "Permuation City" is a great book 
with all of the problems of this vast subject - right up there in your face.

May 9th 2004
-Simon Laub