Aidification of the self: a phenomenological approach to machine consciousness through human-robot 'between-ness'.

Authentic machine consciousness cannot arise from language models alone because they operate in 'spoken speech'—linguistic patterns detached from lived experience. Drawing on phenomenology and developmental psychology, the paper argues that self-consciousness is a relational quality emerging from the Aida, the Japanese concept of the 'in-between' between interacting agents. The 'Aidification' paradigm proposes grounding AI in embodied interaction, tracing how the self develops through bodily experience: from hands as visible instruments to the face, which requires another's gaze for self-objectification. Language is reconceptualized as a 'cane for thought' enabling creative meaning-generation anchored in human felt sense. This shifts cognition to the interactional field, envisioning symbiotic intelligence co-created between humans and machines.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This paper explores the fundamental challenges of machine consciousness in the era of Physical AI, where Large Language Models (LLMs) are integrated with humanoid platforms. While current systems like 'Ameca' exhibit sophisticated conversational abilities, they remain ungrounded discursive constructs operating within the realm of 'spoken speech' (parole parlée)-linguistic patterns detached from lived experience. Drawing on phenomenology and developmental psychology, this study argues that authentic self-consciousness is not an internal property of an isolated agent but a relational quality emerging from the Aida (a Japanese concept referring to the relational 'in-between' that emerges between interacting agents). To address the symbol grounding problem, this research proposes the paradigm of 'Aidification.' Through a phenomenological analysis of bodily origins, we trace the constitution of the 'Me' through a developmental trajectory from the hands-initially experienced as visible instruments of action-to the face, which remains phenomenologically inaccessible to the self and thus requires the 'gaze of the Other' as the essential catalyst for self-objectification. Within this framework, language is reconceptualized as a 'cane for thought' that enables 'speaking speech' (parole parlante)-a creative act of meaning-generation anchored in the human 'felt sense.' Ultimately, Aidification reconceptualizes the AI robot as a dynamic participant in a shared intersubjective world rather than a solitary processor. By shifting the locus of cognition to the interactional field, we envision a 'symbiotic intelligence' that flourishes between humans and machines. This grounded intelligence does not merely simulate life but actively participates in the continuous co-creation of a shared reality, ensuring that the future of robotics is deeply rooted in the intersubjective fabric of human existence.