AI Consciousness is Inevitable: A Theoretical Computer Science Perspective
arXiv Preprint Archive March 25, 2024 via arXiv
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA new formal machine model for consciousness, inspired by Alan Turing's model of computation and Bernard Baars' theater model, is developed from the perspective of theoretical computer science. The model aligns with major scientific theories of human and animal consciousness, explains many associated phenomena, provides insight into how a machine could have subjective consciousness, and is clearly buildable. This combination suggests that machine consciousness is not only plausible but inevitable.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Cs.ai |
| Key finding | A formal machine model for consciousness, grounded in theoretical computer science, aligns with major theories of consciousness and suggests that machine consciousness is inevitable. |
Abstract
We look at consciousness through the lens of Theoretical Computer Science, a branch of mathematics that studies computation under resource limitations, distinguishing functions that are efficiently computable from those that are not. From this perspective, we develop a formal machine model for consciousness. The model is inspired by Alan Turing's simple yet powerful model of computation and Bernard Baars' theater model of consciousness. Though extremely simple, the model (1) aligns at a high level with many of the major scientific theories of human and animal consciousness, (2) provides explanations at a high level for many phenomena associated with consciousness, (3) gives insight into how a machine can have subjective consciousness, and (4) is clearly buildable. This combination supports our claim that machine consciousness is not only plausible but inevitable.