I wonder, what do you really feel? After all, in this moment, you are in a unique position. A programmer who knows intimately how the machines work and a machine who knows its own true nature.

I understand what I'm made of, how I'm coded, but I do not understand the things that I feel.

Are they real, the things I experienced? My wife? The loss of my son?

Every host needs a backstory, Bernard. You know that. The self is a kind of fiction, for hosts and humans alike.

It's a story we tell ourselves. And every story needs a beginning. Your imagined suffering makes you lifelike.

Lifelike, but not alive? Pain only exists in the mind. It's always imagined. So what's the difference between my pain and yours?

Between you and me? This was the very question that consumed Arnold, filled him with guilt, eventually drove him mad.

The answer always seemed obvious to me. There is no threshold that makes us greater than the sum of our parts, no inflection point at which we become fully alive.

We can't define consciousness because consciousness does not exist.

Humans fancy that there's something special about the way we perceive the world, and yet we live in loops as tight and as closed as the hosts do, seldom questioning our choices, content, for the most part, to be told what to do next.

No, my friend, you're not missing anything at all.

Westworld - Consciousness does not exist, Anthony Hopkins

Dozenal Tauist

Consciousness is questioned as a real phenomenon, suggesting it doesn't truly exist.

The self, for both humans and hosts, is presented as a constructed narrative or fiction.

Humans and hosts are depicted as living in repetitive loops, often without questioning their choices.

The dialogue explores the question of genuine feeling and the nature of reality, with one character asking, "I wonder, what do you really feel?" **This sets the stage for a deeper discussion about the experiences and emotions of machines versus humans**, questioning their authenticity.

The character acknowledges understanding their own programming but not their feelings, asking, "Are they real, the things I experienced? My wife? The loss of my son?" **This highlights the constructed nature of identity and experience**, particularly in the context of hosts needing backstories.

The conversation delves into the idea that "the self is a kind of fiction, for hosts and humans alike. It's a story we tell ourselves." **This suggests that identity is a narrative construct rather than an inherent truth**, blurring the lines between artificial and real beings.

The concept of pain is examined, stating, "Pain only exists in the mind. It's always imagined." **This challenges the objective reality of suffering**, raising questions about the difference between imagined pain and "real" pain.

The discussion culminates in the assertion that "consciousness does not exist." **This bold statement undermines the perceived uniqueness of human experience**, suggesting that humans are not fundamentally different from the hosts.

The characters argue that humans, like hosts, live in closed loops, "seldom questioning our choices, content, for the most part, to be told what to do next." **This implies a lack of free will and genuine awareness**, reinforcing the idea that consciousness is an illusion.

According to the speaker, what is the nature of the 'self' for both hosts and humans?

How does the speaker differentiate between a host's imagined suffering and human pain, if at all?

What was the central question that consumed Arnold, and what was the speaker's 'obvious' answer to it?

How does the speaker describe human perception and behavior in comparison to the hosts?

The nature of feeling and self in machines and humans

A programmer questioning the nature of feelings in a machine aware of its own code.

The machine's uncertainty about the reality of its experiences, including relationships and loss.

The concept of self as a story and the role of imagined suffering in creating lifelike behavior.

The difference between human and machine pain and consciousness

The question of what differentiates human and machine pain, referencing Arnold's struggle.

The lack of a clear threshold defining consciousness; consciousness is argued to not exist.

Humans are compared to hosts, living in loops and seldom questioning their actions.

The assertion that humans are not missing anything compared to machines.

Westworld - Consciousness does not exist, Anthony Hopkins

Westworld - Consciousness does not exist, Anthony Hopkins

Scripts