alt Hacker NewsThey symptoms sound a lot like humans, so I don't see how it stems from their lack of self reference. Most people you need to keep them in areas they understand or they go to pieces. The lack of self reference just means every time the context clears they reset. They are systems in a permanent state of extreme amnesia.
It’s really not like that. If I ask you to tell me about a geographical place I just made up, you can trivially and generally instantly recognize you don’t recognize it. A child can do this. You wouldn’t be able to hold a job or generally get through life without this level of self awareness.