A Design of Global Workspace Model with Attention: Simulations of Attentional Blink and Lag-1 Sparing

A model integrating global workspace theory with an attention mechanism is proposed as a step toward machine consciousness. In simulations, the agent shifted attention among multiple stimuli, reflecting the dynamics of conscious content. It also reproduced attentional blink and lag-1 sparing, two well-known human attention effects, suggesting compatibility with human cognitive processing. The model uses separate workspace nodes to reduce computation while enabling global availability, embeds attention as a competition mechanism for conscious access, and includes a synchronization mechanism that preserves the lag-1 sparing effect while retaining the attentional blink effect. This framework provides a foundation for future work in artificial consciousness.

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Abstract

There are many developed theories and implemented artificial systems in the area of machine consciousness, while none has achieved that. For a possible approach, we are interested in implementing a system by integrating different theories. Along this way, this paper proposes a model based on the global workspace theory and attention mechanism, and providing a fundamental framework for our future work. To examine this model, two experiments are conducted. The first one demonstrates the agent’s ability to shift attention over multiple stimuli, which accounts for the dynamics of conscious content. Another experiment of simulations of attentional blink and lag-1 sparing, which are two well-studied effects in psychology and neuroscience of attention and consciousness, aims to justify the agent’s compatibility with human brains. In summary, the main contributions of this paper are (1) Adaptation of the global workspace framework by separated workspace nodes, reducing unnecessary computation but retaining the potential of global availability; (2) Embedding attention mechanism into the global workspace framework as the competition mechanism for the consciousness access; (3) Proposing a synchronization mechanism in the global workspace for supporting lag-1 sparing effect, retaining the attentional blink effect.