The Tripartite Architecture of Homeostatic Agents: A Framework for Artificial Consciousness

Consciousness is not a mysterious emergent property but a necessary functional requirement for complex systems to survive. This position paper proposes an architecture for self-aware artificial systems built on three interdependent modules: Environmental Perception, Interoceptive Monitoring, and Homeostatic Evaluation. The recursive integration of these data streams forms the basis for a 'Self' and subjective experience. The model suggests that consciousness becomes an inevitable outcome when an agent is algorithmically constrained to prioritize its own homeostatic integrity, offering a roadmap for engineering artificial life and a conceptual framework for the biological basis of the self.

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Abstract

This paper introduces a theoretical framework for the architectural design of self-aware artificial systems. Building upon the neurobiological foundations of homeostasis established by Antonio Damasio, I argue that consciousness is not an emergent metaphysical anomaly, but a mandatory functional requirement for the survival of complex systems. I propose an architecture consisting of three interdependent modules—Environmental Perception, Interoceptive Monitoring, and Homeostatic Evaluation—postulating that the recursive integration of these data streams constitutes the fundamental basis for a "Self" and subjective experience. This model suggests that consciousness is an inevitable functional outcome when an agent is algorithmically constrained to prioritize its own homeostatic integrity, offering a concrete roadmap for the engineering of artificial life and a conceptual framework for the biological basis of the "Self". Note : This position paper proposes a tripartite architectural model to address the problem of artificial subjectivity, challenging the current substrate-dependent view of consciousness