Exploring Consciousness in LLMs: A Systematic Survey of Theories, Implementations, and Frontier Risks
arXiv Preprint Archive May 26, 2025 Sirui Chen, Shuqin Ma, Shu Yu et al.
Consciousness is a defining feature of the human mind, and as large language models (LLMs) advance, questions about their potential for consciousness become pressing. This paper clarifies commonly confused terms like LLM consciousness and awareness, then systematically reviews existing theoretical and empirical research on the topic. It also highlights potential frontier risks that conscious LLMs might pose, discusses current challenges, and outlines future directions for this emerging field.