Artificial Intelligence

No, there is no difference between a philosophical zombie and a normal person.

It is theoretically possible, given powerful enough computers (among other requirements), to create a computer replica of the human brain in enough detail to emulate the consciousness of a human being. If that was done, the computer would be, in every way that matters, conscious.

The question makes no mention of time. Given enough time, one of the definitions of the singularity will happen, it is inevitable.

Of course. You are not dead until it becomes completely impossible to revive you, independent of currently available technology.

The technological singularity is likely to happen in the middle of the 21st Century.

Does a human have consciousness?
Your current consciousness is made up of absorbed data and experiences.

Does a Computer have consciousness?
A computer Absorbs data through a webcam, collects data through the microphone ect.
Does it think or not think?
The microphone will adjust the level of volume, based upon the level of input. Is that via choice? Did it decide to do that? Is it conscious because it changed its settings? A lot of people would say that a person is different from a computer, because they can think.

Well, defining thinking? I could say that the computer is thinking because its taking my voice and adjusting the volume accordingly. Its no different from a human thinking about having chicken tonight instead of pork. Or thinking about going to go pay there bill, or do whatever. Its ultimately just a more complex version of a computer. A program response. Functioning under the specific programs, one has accumulated from there upbringing and society.

If you ask someone a question and they give you a response, does that make them conscious? No. its still a function. Based on a programmed thought process.
When the computer adjusts its volume automatically. Who defined what level of sound would be ‘medium’. it was programmed with a opinion of someone’s idea, of what they thought ‘medium’ was.

We are all programmed with different opinions based on our individual life experiences. Ultimately our decision is made by someone else. Parent values/political values ect. Which were programmed into us, though out the years. No different from a computer being programmed.

Humans are not conscious. They Automate through life.
When your on the computer can you see outside of it? The wall behind it? can you feel the chair your sitting on? the temperature of the room, the breeze as it touches your skin? Are you aware of your body right now?
No, your completely absorbed in the reading these words. Your not aware of any of those things, unless its brought to your attention.

Bio-chemical organic reactions are patterned sequences the body learns to repeat. Such as seeing the face of a romantic partner, you feel overwhelmed with love because the brain releases a specific sequence of bio-chemicals every time you see that particular person. When that person goes away for a work trip for example you will withdraw from the emotional high your used to experiencing from having that person around and having them trigger that sequence. so the brain adapts by releasing a depressive combination of chemical reactions so that you (the combination of personality which make up your automated consciousness) go out of your way to resolve this problem by calling your partner or asking them to come home etc. So the body can have its 'love high' pattern repeated, which its become accustomed too.

Emotion is a programmed behavioral response for humans, just like it is for robots.
The human body is an organic machine.
Robots with equal intelligence to humans deserve equal rights.

"software instructs the hardware what to do"

Does your mind/consciousness instruct your brain what to do?

"...our observable behaviours are fully explained in terms of the physical wiring. If that's true, then we don't need conciousness to explain anything, as our chemicals and atoms can take care of things."

That's like saying the observable behavior of a computer can be fully explained in terms of its physical wiring, so we don't need software to explain anything, as the transistors can take care of things.

If we want the concept of death to be useful at all, it seems obvious that the only, and only the, irrecoverable death is the correct death.

"If evolution can build a conscious machine, we surely can."

This.

As there is nothing beyond the material world, the mind is nothing but physical matter. If the physical matter is reconstructed, then the mind will have returned.

"Consciousness" is only a concept created by humans. If something has the physical makeup of a conscious being, it is conscious.

"Mainly just bold and italic."
I'm sorry but that feature is just too hard.

Mainly just bold and italic. Blockquotes would be useful too; might be better than graying/italicizing everything written between quotes.

Which markdown features do you want the most?