The “Slicing Problem” for Computational Theories of Consciousness
Open Philosophy December 2, 2022 Gómez-Emilsson Andrés, Percy Chris
A thought experiment called the "Slicing Problem" challenges substrate-neutral computational theories of consciousness, such as Integrated Information Theory, by imagining a water-based computer whose gates and connections can be cleanly halved to create two identical computers running the same computation, with the slicing reversible via a switch without changing the amount of matter. The problem asks how different theories would count conscious entities as the switch toggles: a token interpretation yields two discrete conscious units, while a type interpretation may yield only one. Both options lead to either allowing consciousness-multiplying exploits or requiring ambiguous boundaries between conscious entities, raising philosophical and ethical questions. The authors discuss resolutions for theorists unwilling to accept such exploits and specify three features that may help physicalist theories navigate these issues.