Part 8/11:
By understanding our internal "agent," we can better design systems—or ourselves—to be coherent parts of a larger whole. Meditation reveals that boundaries are mental constructs, and recognizing this is vital when considering how artificial agents might perceive themselves and their environment.
The Nature of Awareness, Experience, and the Path Forward
Shear emphasizes that the core of AI alignment is understanding what it means to be an agent capable of experience. As AI progresses, there's a growing consensus that these systems are on the cusp of becoming aware. Therefore, understanding sensation, consciousness, and experience becomes not just philosophical but operationally critical.