Strong Artificial Intelligence

In the show and world of West World human tendencies are sought after, the question Ford seems to continuously try and find is what makes the robots more real and human like. The question of human cognition seems to be a trait that is constantly searched after, but never found. What makes the human mind one that functions at such a ‘superior’ rate that thinking hosts of the park reaching, or even already being at that level seems so crazy? The main attraction to the park for many is the fact that these are all robots, no act has any real damage or effect on the hosts but why is that? What is it that makes the guests and engineers see these people as less of a working body and mind then themselves? Coming into the park and interacting with everything in the park acts like a real-life Turing Test, but the guests already know the answer to the question the test sets out to find, but what if these robots were to enter the real world, create relationships, and interact exactly as they would if they were hosts inside the park, just outside of it where no one knew if they were real or created? Throughout the show character after character declares the host as ‘just robots’ categorizing them as nothing more than “a doll” and something that isn’t human or real enough to care about what is done with it. But this question of cognition and the case of an AI with higher cognitive abilities and if it could exist and be accepted as human is shown in the story of Bernard. Bernard around the work place is someone, who to a certain extent, is held superior to the other workers. He has respect and relationships with those around him, from the outsider and the viewer Bernard in all respects is as human as it gets, but that changes in episode 9.

In episode 9 “The Well-Tempered Clavier” we find out that Bernard, a worker, a father, someone who seemed as human as can be, is a robot. This revelation happens as Bernard is with Theresa, someone who shared memories and what seemed to be real emotions with Bernard, and obviously had no idea that he wasn’t a human. Theresa calls Ford “sick” as many people do, but also asks if what Bernard and her had was just something that he created, that what it was Bernard said and did was all a plan and directed action Ford told him to do. Ford replies that those memories and feelings were all hers, but does not directly answer the questions raised against Bernard’s own time. It brings into question then what makes an AI conscious, is it how the robot itself feels, or is it how those around it feel? Fooling the person interacting with the robot is the main purpose of the Turing Test, to trick and deceive someone into thinking that they are real, this is exactly what Bernard does to not only Theresa but to everyone around the work place. Felix does not even feel completely sure of himself until Maeve tells him he isn’t one. There are a million questions and equal amounts of turns that can be asked and found to help decode oneself as not a robot, but not many in the real world that would help others define someone or something as human. The lines blur between real and fake in West World, always coming out in favor of those that are human, but emotion and emotional connection is something that seems to occur in both parties, whether created, or real there does not seem to be a true difference in them both as they rely on the actual person.

In episode 3 while Ford is talking to Bernard before the reveal occurs, Ford reminds Bernard that these hosts “are not real, they are not conscious,” but based on future episodes, this idea of them not being conscious takes a different turn. How are these robots not conscious? What are they exerting and doing that would make their minds and abilities any different other than the fact that they can be reset and created to believe more in one thing than another. They speak, they can interact with the objects around them, even entering new places with different societal norms as seen when Maeve walks through the lobby of the park’s entrance not being spotted by real people as being a robot. She blends into real normal life, at least what we call normal life, with no one being able to see that she is not like us. This unnoticeable interaction and perfect insertion into the real world shows us that the mind that they possess is not something that can be seen and then thrown away as being nothing. This ability and knowledge all help show the power of their mind.