From Simulation to Sentience
Anchit Jhamb
Advances in Computational Intelligence and Robotics December 12, 2025 DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-5530-6.ch006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the explanatory gap between functional intelligence and subjective experience remains a central challenge for computational consciousness, and that key theories of consciousness—Integrated Information Theory, Global Workspace Theory, and predictive processing—offer differing assessments of relevance to artificial systems. |
Abstract
This chapter examines the complex relationship between simulation and sentience in computational consciousness, addressing the central issue of the explanatory gap that separates functional intelligence from subjective experience. It explores philosophical foundations, including the hard problem of consciousness, and evaluates computational models such as symbolic AI, neural networks, and embodied agents. The discussion integrates key theories of consciousness—Integrated Information Theory, Global Workspace Theory, and predictive processing—while assessing their relevance to artificial systems. Ethical and epistemological challenges are analyzed, including verification of machine sentience, anthropomorphism, and societal responsibilities.
Citations in the library
Cites 7
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- Consciousness: here, there and everywhere? Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences May 19, 2015
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