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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>It could write new functions, and those functions would also be deterministic. Self-modifying or higher-order code just kicks the can down the road. It is all still rules. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> Friam <friam-bounces@redfish.com> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Jochen Fromm<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, June 10, 2025 1:16 PM<br><b>To:</b> The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <friam@redfish.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [FRIAM] Free will—ghost in the machine or just clever wiring?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p style='margin:0in'><span style='font-family:"Google Sans",serif;color:black'>You say as long as a robot's behaviors is 100% a function of its internal state and the external state it is coupled to we have no free will because the function determines the output and not some kind of mysterious free will, right?</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in'><span style='font-family:"Google Sans",serif;color:black'><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in'><span style='font-family:"Google Sans",serif;color:black'>But what if the robot is able to manipulate this very function? If it is able to set its own directive it will definitely modify this overall function of its internal state and the external state it is coupled to. It is tricky but not impossible.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in'><span style='font-family:"Google Sans",serif;color:black'><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in'><span style='font-family:"Google Sans",serif;color:black'>-J.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in'><span style='font-family:"Google Sans",serif;color:black'><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>-------- Original message --------<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>From: Marcus Daniels <<a href="mailto:marcus@snoutfarm.com">marcus@snoutfarm.com</a>> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Date: 6/10/25 9:54 PM (GMT+01:00) <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <<a href="mailto:friam@redfish.com">friam@redfish.com</a>> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Free will—ghost in the machine or just clever wiring? <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>< As long as they obey the directive all these bots and robots have the freedom to pick the action they think is best. In this sense they have free will. ><br><br>The robot’s behaviors will be 100% a function of its internal state and the external state it is coupled to (even if that external state is noise). That is a fact. No free will.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Marcus<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>