Evaluating the explanatory power of the Conscious Turing Machine.
Asger Kirkeby-Hinrup, Jakob Stenseke, Morten Overgaard
Consciousness and Cognition September 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103736 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Ctm Cognitive neuroscience Consciousness Explanatory power Turing machines |
| Key points | Argues that the Conscious Turing Machine model does not yet constitute progress in understanding consciousness across philosophy, cognitive neuroscience, and computation. |
Abstract
The recent "Conscious Turing Machine" (CTM) proposal offered by Manuel and Lenore Blum aims to define and explore consciousness, contribute to the solution of the hard problem, and demonstrate the value of theoretical computer science with respect to the study of consciousness. Surprisingly, given the ambitiousness and novelty of the proposal (and the prominence of its creators), CTM has received relatively little attention. We here seek to remedy this by offering an exhaustive evaluation of CTM. Our evaluation considers the explanatory power of CTM in three different domains of interdisciplinary consciousness studies: the philosophy of mind, cognitive neuroscience, and computation. Based on our evaluation in each of the target domains, at present, any claim that CTM constitutes progress is premature. Nevertheless, the model has potential, and we highlight several possible avenues of future research which proponents of the model may pursue in its development.