Perspectival Control Identity Theory
Proceedings of the AAAI Symposium Series May 18, 2026 Jared Moffat
A new theory, Perspectival Control Identity Theory (PCIT), proposes that phenomenal consciousness is identical to a specific type of internal control variable called a Perspectival Control State (PCS). This PCS is a temporally extended, viability-weighted stream that makes an agent's competing needs comparable and coordinates a coalition of consumers whose outputs shape the stream. The theory makes testable predictions: degree of consciousness tracks how causally important the PCS stream is for closed-loop viability regulation under intervention; content tracks equivalence classes over PCS states and similarity geometry determined by consumers. Advances in machine learning allow building artificial agents with known internal organization to test these predictions, offering a scientific foundation for questions about AI moral status, animal sentience, and consciousness disorders.