Artificial Consciousness as Interface Representation
Artificial General Intelligence January 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-00800-8_12 (opens in new tab) via Springer Nature
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA framework called SLP-tests offers three criteria—subjective-linguistic, latent-emergent, and phenomenological-structural—to assess whether an AI system's interface representations enable consciousness-like properties. Using category theory, interface representations are modeled as mappings between relational substrates and observable behaviors. The approach reframes subjective experience not as an intrinsic property of physical systems but as a functional interface to a relational entity, making the question of artificial consciousness empirically testable.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Conscious ai Interface theory Slp-tests Category theory |
| Key finding | Proposes that consciousness-like properties in AI can be assessed through three SLP-tests that operationalize subjective experience as a functional interface rather than an intrinsic property. |
Abstract
Whether artificial intelligence (AI) systems can possess consciousness is a contentious question because of the inherent challenges of defining and operationalizing subjective experience. This paper proposes a framework to reframe the question of artificial consciousness into empirically tractable tests. We introduce three evaluative criteria – S (subjective-linguistic), L (latent-emergent), and P (phenomenological-structural) – collectively termed SLP-tests, which assess whether an AI system instantiates interface representations that facilitate consciousness-like properties. Drawing on category theory, we model interface representations as mappings between relational substrates (RS) and observable behaviors, akin to specific types of abstraction layers. The SLP-tests collectively operationalize subjective experience not as an intrinsic property of physical systems but as a functional interface to a relational entity.