Towards General Artificial Intelligence: Permanent Cognitive Surveillance in AI Systems (PCV-AIS)

1. Overview

General Artificial Intelligence (AGI) represents the next frontier in AI development, aiming to create systems capable of reasoning, learning, and acting with a versatility and breadth comparable to human intelligence. Unlike specialized AI, designed for specific tasks such as image recognition or machine translation, AGI seeks to operate across multiple domains, transfer knowledge between them, and continuously adapt to new challenges.

In this context, I present the concept of Permanent Cognitive Surveillance in AI Systems (PCV-AIS). This proposal asserts that to achieve true AGI, AI systems must not only process explicit stimuli (sounds, text, images) but also interpret silences, pauses, and the absence of signals as valuable information. The goal is to anticipate contextual variations, respond quickly to critical situations, and, most importantly, predict the future needs or actions of both the user and the system itself.

Permanent cognitive surveillance goes beyond mere data accumulation, requiring a strategic management of information and computing resources. This is accomplished through a local AI Operating System, which manages priorities, protects privacy, and coordinates the various modules of the AGI. This allows the AI to function not just reactively but also as a “secondary brain” or subconscious, continuously analyzing multiple variables in the background to refine objectives and suggest the most optimal courses of action.

2. A Brief Vision of AGI

Multidomain Reasoning

AGI is not confined to a specific field; it transfers learning and methodologies from one area to another (e.g., from computer vision to symbolic logic, or from linguistics to mathematical reasoning). This versatility enables AGI to tackle novel challenges without requiring extensive architectural redesigns.

Continuous and Adaptive Learning

Rather than undergoing static training sessions, AGI continuously trains itself as it receives feedback and new data. This improvement cycle enhances the system’s ability to respond accurately to dynamic scenarios.

Metacognition and Self-Improvement

A fundamental feature of AGI is its ability to examine its own functioning, identify deficiencies, and reconfigure subsystems or algorithms. This introspective process, known as metacognition, fosters a flexible and dynamic intelligence capable of self-improvement over time.

Integrated Architecture Beyond Large Language Models (LLMs)

AGI will not be built solely on a Large Language Model (LLM); instead, it will integrate multiple interconnected systems, much like an electronic circuit board integrating various components with the processor as its core. In this analogy, the LLM serves as the “main processor,” while other modules handle perception, decision-making, and physical interaction. This hybrid architecture ensures that AGI is a complete and multifunctional system rather than just an advanced language model.

3. The Concept of Permanent Cognitive Surveillance in AI (PCV-AIS)

3.1 Definition

Permanent cognitive surveillance implies that AI remains in a state of constant awareness, considering both the presence and absence of events. Specifically:

• Uninterrupted Monitoring: The system continuously analyzes data streams, recording even silences or inactivity as potential indicators.
• Intelligent Selection of Analytical Depth: To prevent overload, AI determines the level of detail needed for each signal, distinguishing between those requiring quick filtering and those necessitating deep analysis.
• Rapid Response: In response to unusual or critical events, the system reallocates computing resources dynamically to prioritize and address the situation immediately.

3.2 Motivation

Anticipation of Actions and Desires

By continuously monitoring, the system can infer the next steps of a person or even other subsystems. A prolonged pause in conversation, a slight change in posture, or an accelerated heart rate could trigger new routine suggestions or activation of assistance protocols. This anticipatory function turns the system into a subconscious of the AGI, always analyzing in the background to preempt user needs.

Detection of Anomalies and Subtle Signals

A silence breaking a usual pattern might indicate a communication problem, a mood shift, or a technical failure. The absence of expected data in a sensor-based environment (e.g., healthcare or security systems) could signal network interruptions, device failures, or emergencies.

Design and Refinement of Objectives

Beyond mere reactivity, AI is in a continuous process of reformulating and optimizing its goals based on the data it collects from its environment. This constant adjustment enables agile adaptation and promotes the self-improvement of the system’s global architecture.

Deep Environmental Understanding

By not disregarding the “absence” of events, AI builds a more accurate map of its surroundings, detecting underlying patterns and anticipating changes more precisely. This comprehensive world model allows the system to activate plans or protocols in advance rather than merely reacting after a problem manifests.

4. The Role of a Local AI Operating System

4.1 Resource Management

To sustain permanent cognitive surveillance, an AI Operating System is required to:

• Dynamically allocate computing power: Determines which signals require deep analysis (e.g., deep neural networks) and which can be dismissed after basic verification.
• Manage memory and storage: Controls data repository growth, avoids unnecessary duplication, and ensures instant availability of relevant information.

4.2 Privacy and Security

• Local Processing: By operating on the user’s device or private server, AI reduces the need to transmit sensitive data to remote platforms, enhancing privacy.
• Clear Access and Usage Rules: The AI OS defines who can view or modify data, under what circumstances, and according to which policies, providing greater control and transparency.

4.3 Updates and Incremental Learning

• Selective Synchronization: The system connects to model repositories or patches but maintains high functionality even with limited connectivity.
• Continuous Training: The AI OS oversees model evolution and fine-tunes them as circumstances change, reinforcing daily adaptation and autonomous system refinement.

5. Applications and Benefits

Permanent cognitive surveillance in AI systems (PCV-AIS) unlocks revolutionary applications that extend beyond traditional examples, potentially establishing a global AI standard. Beyond its implications in personal assistance, robotics, medicine, and security, this approach aligns with research on computational full awareness and related algorithms, contributing to the development of more conscious and adaptive AI systems.

Personal Assistance and Smart Homes

• Virtual assistants detecting subtle voice variations or silences can suggest clarifications, pauses, or reminders, adjusting to the user’s mood or situation.
• In home environments, detecting inactivity at unusual hours could trigger an alert (indicating a potential medical or security issue).

Advanced Robotics

• Surveillance or logistics robots can respond to unexpected movements and detect inactivity where activity is expected (e.g., a halted production line).
• With an “analytical subconscious,” they can anticipate incidents and prepare corrective actions, minimizing surprises.

Medicine and Health Monitoring

• Wearable sensors monitoring pulse or oxygen saturation can issue early alerts for anomalous data or missing readings.
• The permanent surveillance component can suggest lifestyle changes, medication adjustments, or medical attention before a situation worsens.

Security and Corporate Surveillance

• Distributed camera and microphone systems can correlate multiple signals in real time, detecting unusual silences or empty spaces.
• The anticipatory subsystem can recommend personnel adjustments or reinforce security in specific areas before risks materialize.

6. A “Secondary Brain”: Anticipation and Proactivity

At the core of permanent cognitive surveillance is the concept of a “secondary brain” or subconscious working in the background. This subsystem:

• Predicts future needs and objectives
• Suggests optimal paths and solutions
• Refines goals as new signals emerge
• Fully integrates with AGI’s capabilities

By continuously integrating perception, learning, and decision-making—even in response to silences and information gaps—PCV-AIS propels AI towards greater anticipation, adaptability, and autonomy, marking a decisive step toward truly functional and autonomous General AI.