What happens if you Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V on the Doctor’s data files? Do you duplicate a sentient being?

In “Virtuoso”, Tom & Harry try to reproduce the Doctor but they’re basically trying to make him from scratch, so I don’t think their failure is relevant.

At the end of “Author, Author” we see many repurposed EMH Mk1s working as miners:

…and they seem to be self-aware, so I guess we have to assume that it’s technically feasible.

But then what happens if you Ctrl+Z?

  • KokusnussRitter@discuss.tchncs.de
    4·
    8 days ago

    I#ll compare the Doc with a game. It should be possible to duplicate the project folder and recieve two identical copies. If you build the game, from either, you will recieve two identical builds. Over their life, they will accumulate individual experiences and become different people. Depending on how this data is retained within the EMH, it may be possible. But the doctor is liekly more complex than a puny game project file. I am not saying AI is sentient, but if you promted an LLM with the identical promt on two seperate new accounts, are you going to recieve the identical output? I honestly expect that the LLM’s answers will be somewhat different from each other.