Individuating Artificial Minds
Erkenntnis April 15, 2026 J. L. McINTYRE 1 citation
If an artificial system becomes conscious, it will likely contain many independent minds simultaneously, not just one. This conclusion follows from an analogy with split-brain patients, whose functionally disconnected hemispheres appear to host two distinct minds. Since artificial systems can have even more extreme functional disconnections—for example, separate interactions with different users—each such interaction may realize its own independent mind. This radical multiplicity carries ethical implications for AI design and system updates, and raises the prospect that the sheer number of artificial minds could overwhelm human interests in moral calculations.