Grounded Computation & Consciousness: A Framework for Exploring Consciousness in Machines & Other Organisms
arXiv Preprint Archive September 24, 2024 preprint
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Qualitative |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Consciousness awareness Sentience Artificial intelligence cs.ai Machine learning Neuroscience q-bio.nc Neurobiology Brain science Data theory |
| Key points | Proposes a formal framework for grounding computational descriptions in an ontological substrate to estimate differences in qualitative experience between systems. |
Abstract
Computational modeling is a critical tool for understanding consciousness, but is it enough on its own? This paper discusses the necessity for an ontological basis of consciousness, and introduces a formal framework for grounding computational descriptions into an ontological substrate. Utilizing this technique, a method is demonstrated for estimating the difference in qualitative experience between two systems. This framework has wide applicability to computational theories of consciousness.