From Absolute Mind to Zombie: Is Artificial Intelligence Possible?

Authors

  • Moritz Ernst Maria Bilagher UNESCO Internal Oversight Service (IOS) Evaluation Office 7 Place de FontenoyParis 75007France https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9368-4517

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12775/SetF.2022.008

Keywords

computing, religion, consciousness, mythology, intelligence

Abstract

The dream of achieving artificial intelligence (AI) and, in particular, artificial consciousness (‘strong AI’), is reflected in mythologies and popular culture as utopia and dystopia. This article discusses its conceptual possibility. It first relates the desire to realise strong AI to a self-perception of humanity as opposed to nature, metaphorically represented as gods or God. The realisation of strong AI is perceived as an ultimate victory on nature or God because it represents the crown of creation or evolution: conscious intelligence. The paper proceeds to summarise two debates relevant to AI: one educational and one technological. The technological debate, almost invariably presupposing a materialist framework, is related to the mind–body problem of philosophy; the educational one to understanding the concept of intelligence. By proposing a definition of intelligence linked to an idealist conception of reality, postulating mind as participation in Absolute Mind, I attempt a convergence of these debates, rejecting the possibility of strong AI.

Author Biography

Moritz Ernst Maria Bilagher, UNESCO Internal Oversight Service (IOS) Evaluation Office 7 Place de FontenoyParis 75007France

Moritz Bilagher is a Principal Evaluation Specialist at UNESCO Internal Oversight Service (IOS) Evaluation Office. Prior to this, he was Head of Monitoring and Evaluation Unit at the Global Partnership for Education (GPE); Programme Specialist at UNESCO Santiago; Statistical Advisor at UNESCO Nairobi; Research Manager with the British government agency for ICT in education Becta; and Educational Research and Evaluation specialist with UNRWA in the Near East. He evaluated the Iraq ALP as a consultant with UNICEF ISCA. Moritz holds a Doctorate in Education from King’s College London and an MSc-degree in Educational Research Methodology from the University of Oxford. 

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2022-03-03

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1.
BILAGHER, Moritz Ernst Maria. From Absolute Mind to Zombie: Is Artificial Intelligence Possible?. Scientia et Fides. Online. 3 March 2022. Vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 155-176. [Accessed 3 May 2025]. DOI 10.12775/SetF.2022.008.

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Vol. 10 No. 1 (2022)

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