Is AI truly sentient, or does it merely appear intelligent?

Reality is not always limited by what the eyes can see; sometimes it begins where perception ends.

We consider the world we see every day to be “reality.” The sun rises, the sky appears blue, objects seem stationary, and time is felt moving forward. But is everything truly as it appears to us?

If our senses provide us with information about the world, is that information complete and accurate?

Philosophers, scientists and psychologists have debated this question for thousands of years. And even today scientists and philosophers are trying to understand what is reality and how far we can understand it.

Can we know the world directly?

The answer appears to be “yes” on its face.

But the truth is that we do not see the world directly.

Our eyes can only see light. The brain then processes this information to produce a “image”.

What we see, therefore, is not a direct copy of the outside world, but an interpretation constructed by the brain.

That is why two people can perceive the same event differently.

Our senses are limited.

We feel that we can see everything.

But science says that is not the case.

For example:

• We cannot see ultraviolet or infrared light.
• We can’t see radio waves or X-rays, either.
• There are some things that humans cannot see but certain animals can.

So, just because something is invisible to us, it does not mean it does not exist.

Our vision perceives only a small part of the universe.

The brain creates reality.

The brain is constantly making predictions.

It seeks to complete a picture from incomplete information.

We fall for optical illusions sometimes that’s why.

A still picture appears to be moving.

A straight line appears to be curved.

The same color appears different.

If our eyes always revealed the absolute truth, such illusions would not be possible.

This demonstrates that we do not see merely with our eyes,we see through our brain.

Does everyone live in their own distinct reality?

This question is somewhat complex.

The physical world is the same for everyone.

However, the experience of it can differ for each person.

The same rain brings joy to one person.

To another, it brings inconvenience.

The same event inspires one person.

It might cause grief to someone else.

So the event is the same, but each person derives a different meaning from it.

Science and the Real World

Science says that we have to put our ideas about reality to the test of evidence.

Things are not always as they appear.

For example, it appears to us that the sun goes round the earth.

(But actually the earth goes round the sun.)

This shows that we cannot find out the truth by looking at appearances only.

So science is about observation, experimentation and evidence.

What does psych say?

Psychology teaches us that our thoughts, beliefs and experiences influence our experience.

If a person is living in a constant state of fear, even normal circumstances may seem dangerous to them.

But the same situation may hold a new opportunity for an optimist.

We therefore often do not see the world as it is but instead through the prism of our mood.

Is it possible to know reality in its entirety?

No one has a definitive answer to this question yet.

Our senses are limited.

Our brain interprets information.

Science constantly discovers new evidence.

Perhaps we are then reaching a better, if not a complete, understanding of reality.

That’s the beauty of science. It doesn’t claim to have the ultimate truth; it keeps refining its understanding as better evidence comes along.