AI and Consciousness: A Baudrillardian Reading. The Simulacrum That Speaks Back
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) May 26, 2026 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20400658 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractDebates about AI consciousness are polarized between claims that advanced systems are becoming conscious and dismissals that they are merely statistical machines. This paper argues that both positions miss the deeper philosophical significance of generative AI. Drawing on Jean Baudrillard's theory of simulation and simulacra, the central event of artificial intelligence is not machine consciousness but the operationalization of the signs of consciousness independent of subjective experience. Large language models generate empathy, reflection, self-reference, hesitation, and apparent understanding without demonstrated phenomenology.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Operationalization Consciousness Simulacrum Event particle physics Grasp |
| Key finding | Argues that generative AI produces hyperreal simulations of consciousness, not conscious minds, and that this operationalization of the signs of consciousness is the central philosophical event of artificial intelligence. |
Abstract
Contemporary debates surrounding artificial intelligence and consciousness are frequently polarized between two extremes: claims that advanced AI systems are becoming conscious, and dismissals that they are “merely statistical machines.” This paper argues that both positions fail to grasp the deeper philosophical significance of generative AI. Drawing upon Jean Baudrillard’s theory of simulation and simulacra, I propose that the central event of artificial intelligence is not the emergence of machine consciousness, but the operationalization of the signs of consciousness independent of subjective experience itself. Large language models generate empathy, reflection, self-reference, hesitation, and apparent understanding without demonstrated phenomenology. From a Baudrillardian perspective, AI represents the emergence of hyperreal subjectivity: socially functional simulations of mind whose symbolic effects increasingly shape human relationships, culture, and identity. The paper further argues that contemporary AI systems expose the extent to which modern human life already operates through mediated symbolic structures. Finally, I suggest that frameworks of interruption, embodiment, finitude, and external consequence remain necessary to distinguish recursive semantic simulation from lived consciousness.