Here's a fun article about the Mirror Test.

What does it even mean to pass the mirror test?

Now I have this mental image of two robots staring each other in the cameras, thinking it's themselves in a mirror.

Cheers,
Florian

I would say that the awakening process is a third development rather than a regression back to thinking the animal in the mirror is another animal (which still has in it a recognition of "other"). Just because an animal does not recognize that the picture in the mirror is a reflection of its own behavior does not mean that the animal does not "possess a self" (and is not engaged in the process of self-making).

First level: "Animal/appearances" recognizes appearance in mirror as "other than myself"
Second level: "Animal/appearances" recognizes appearance in mirror as "myself."
Third level: "Animal/appearances" recognizes appearances in mirror as appearances.

Question: Is it possible to jump from the first to the third without going through the second?

Hi Tom

I forgot to mark this as "humor". It's in the humor section, but I could have been more explicit.

In reply to your question: I have no idea. PZ's post was about building a special-purpose automaton to "pass" the mirror test, and speculating what would happen if two such automatons ... automatoes ... automata ... robots met.

That last speculation is hilarious, to my taste, and also in a humorous way sums up what people who find themselves participating here are struggling with, the "insight disease" as it it sometimes called.

Cheers,
Florian