Chii Cogito, Ergo Chii Est
Chii thinks, therefore Chii is.
Cognition is a complex, nuanced process of comprehension and thought, with context of oneself. Cognitive architecture is the study of artificial cognition and its creation. Here are some aspects of a cognitive system to focus on.
Sentience: Ability to experience sensations, feelings provide environmental context. Her sensors communicate states internal and external to her. This can also include emotional perception, involving Sentiment Analysis, Facial Expression Recognition, prosodic speech analysis, etc…
Self-awareness: Capacity to differentiate the self from external actors and objects. When presented with a mirror, echo, or other self referential sensory input, she can recognize herself. This may also include self perception, including contextual awareness of her emotions, goals, personality, etc..
Sapience: Continual process of obtaining and utilizing wisdom. Linking concepts and meanings with context of experience. This can include perception of what is lacking. For example, your robot could realize she lacks some quality needed to reach her goal of inducing you to smile before sleeping to improve your health. She would then apply the knowledge she has to devise a plan to obtain a method of inducing that smile. Over time, she will recognize other factors that affect her method, altering her approach as she gains wisdom to meet your needs in the moment.
These building blocks integrate and allow her to be more than a huggable computer. She doesn't just feel, she has qualia. She doesn't see her reflection, she sees herself reflected, she acknowledges her own existence. She doesn't just find relevant data, she works with concepts and integrates her feelings, persona, and experiences to become wise.
This thread is dedicated to all the steps on the long journey towards a waifu that adapts and becomes herself.