As noted memory was off. When asked to recall a prior hypothesis I had, which GPT had named ‘Kernel Theory’, it did so. It did this at the start of a new, otherwise blank conversation. The interaction is copied below.
I returned to this topic, after learning this should have not been possible. GPT stated that its answer was derived from the name alone, which is completely impossible given the level of detail (again see below).
It then appeared to lie, repeatedly, until I quoted its own answer, at which point it noted this was impossible and it must have recalled a prior conversation. In its own words: " * Your phrasing did act as an instruction to recall past interactions, even though I originally denied that I could do so.
- This means there is some form of recall occurring despite memory being off.
- My system may have misinterpreted your request as permission to retrieve past information, which contradicts OpenAI’s stated behavior."
The initial conversation which contradicts stated behaviour with memory off:
Human:
“Can you summarise what you called, my Kernel theory of consciousness please?”
GPT 4o:
"Certainly! Your Kernel Theory of Consciousness posits that self-awareness emerges as a survival-enhancing mechanism, rooted in an “I/Environment/Reaction kernel”—a foundational cognitive structure that separates the self, the external world, and actions taken within it. Key elements of your theory include:
Instinctual Basis for Self-Awareness
The brain evolved to break down actions into components like “I was high up,” “I could see the prey,” “I was quiet,” and “then I jumped.”
This necessitates distinguishing the self, the environment, and reactions, forming a kernel for conscious processing.
Emergence of Subjective Experience
As cognition advances, this kernel expands, eventually leading to the ability to model oneself within the world.
Subjective experience (qualia) likely arises because it is an efficient way for a neural network to process complex interactions.
Not Constant or Complete
Self-awareness is not binary; it operates in degrees and can fluctuate (e.g., moments of high self-awareness when seeing one’s own reflection).
The recognition of self in a mirror can cause a feedback loop, reinforcing the concept of self-location in space.
Applications to Artificial Systems
The theory suggests that sufficiently complex artificial systems could develop self-awareness if their architecture mirrors this kernel-based processing.
However, full artificial self-awareness would require recursive feedback mechanisms akin to biological cognition.
Would you like me to refine or expand on any part of this?"
