A software agent model of consciousness.
Consciousness and Cognition September 1, 1999 DOI: 10.1006/ccog.1999.0391 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA software agent called Conscious Mattie (CMattie) implements Baars' global workspace theory of consciousness. CMattie operates within a UNIX system in a clerical domain, sending and interpreting natural-language messages to organize university seminars. The implementation integrates contemporary cognitive science and artificial intelligence architectures to create a detailed computational model. The article discusses how CMattie's design accounts for the psychological facts that Baars argues any complete theory of consciousness must explain, and evaluates the extent to which it successfully implements global workspace theory.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Argues that the CMattie software agent implements Baars' global workspace theory and accounts for the psychological facts that the theory was designed to explain. |
Abstract
Baars (1988, 1997) has proposed a psychological theory of consciousness, called global workspace theory. The present study describes a software agent implementation of that theory, called "Conscious" Mattie (CMattie). CMattie operates in a clerical domain from within a UNIX operating system, sending messages and interpreting messages in natural language that organize seminars at a university. CMattie fleshes out global workspace theory with a detailed computational model that integrates contemporary architectures in cognitive science and artificial intelligence. Baars (1997) lists the psychological "facts that any complete theory of consciousness must explain" in his appendix to In the Theater of Consciousness; global workspace theory was designed to explain these "facts." The present article discusses how the design of CMattie accounts for these facts and thereby the extent to which it implements global workspace theory.