“The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion” albert

round and round

1) self preservation instincts

2) pain receptors

3) basic motivational drives such as a need to feel approved of, reproductive etc.

other than that they probably have everything available already.

Can you give an example of a programmed choice? Because I don't think computers ever make choices.

I think instead of arguing computers already have free will, it is easier to argue that humans don't have free will.

I think I might agree with him. (how's that for vague)

Is self-awareness a prerequisite for free will?

Yes.

There is far from a consensus on this. No one has proven b-theory yet.

I think I agree with him if computers are self-aware in some sense (I don't think they are, but I think it's possible they are and we just don't know it. Not self-aware like humans, but possibly self-aware in some way.)

I don't quite have any firm ideas on it but I basically view the whole free will and consciousness/self-awareness stuff as fundamentally based on arrangements of information. Neurons do not necessarily have anything to do with it (other than as a way to transmit and process information, but there's nothing special about them).

Like I said, pretty vague. But the statement madnak made doesn't sound strange at all to me, even if I don't quite agree with it.

Oh, and to answer OP's question, the computer would need to be self-aware and non-deterministic for it to resemble human decisions, in my eyes.

I used to think it was, but I'm now convinced that's a canard. (Well, or that "self-aware" in this context is relatively easy to achieve.)

What exactly is making the choice? In what sense is this choice "free"?

These questions apply to human choices, too. Especially the first one.

Which is why arguing that humans don't have free will/definition of free will is wrong is a lot easier than arguing that computers make genuine decisions right?

No. We've defined free will, in practical terms, based on what humans do. Even if we get rid of that term, getting rid of terms like "choice" and "decision" is ludicrous. And because many people (including you, apparently, by your "genuine decisions") associate those words with free will, it's better to define free will in a manner that isn't incoherent (ie in a manner that applies to humans, in a manner consistent with determinism) than it is to just wall off a useful part of the English language to appease some crazy cult who wants to believe their actions are "special."

So you believe every single action a human makes is deterministic?

Yes, more or less. Indeterministic elements may play a role in theory, but I highly doubt they will ever actually play a role in how any human actually makes any decision.

I basically agree with you, but I'm not quite clear why you argue that computers make choices. By definition choice is the opposite of determinism isn't it?

No, I think that's a silly definition. When I go into the ice cream store and order an ice cream cone, I have to choose what flavor I want.

I am a believer in it, consensus or no. It's just intuition.

I also don't expect this sort of thing to ever have consensus or be proven. But it makes alot of sense. If time travel is "theoretically" possible then I don't see how past, present and future aren't an illusion.

But do you have a choice?

I only commented because it seemed as if you believed b-theory was a forgone conclusion.

I agree that time travel would not be possible if A-theory is correct. But I don't know that many top level scientists believe that time travel is theoretically possible, but I could be wrong on that.

Of course I do. In the first place, this is the type of situation (often literally) in which I learned what a "choice" was, so almost by definition this situation must meet the criteria.

But let's see, there's a range of options. The particular option is determined solely by my thoughts and wishes. And the result of my thoughts and wishes determines the outcome.

In what sense isn't this a choice?

Read physics of the impossible.

Plus, some people have already traveled seconds into the future.

I've traveled decades into the future. It was a bit slow, but you can't argue with the results.

so here is a question I am not sure what the answer to. Is time moving in relation to us? are we moving with it? or are we we moving in opposite directions? what makes the distinction between time travel into the future and aging?