A stroll beyond the confines of naturalism.
Behavioral and Brain Sciences September 17, 2026 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x25103841 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that inquiry into "conscious artificial intelligence" should reverse its usual direction: instead of asking what naturalism can do for AI, ask what AI can do for naturalism, extending the author's earlier suggestion to ask what consciousness can do for science rather than the reverse. |
Abstract
I have recently suggested not to ask what science can do for consciousness but what consciousness can do for science. Here, I extend such a recommendation in the context of naturalism, the meta-ontology shared by most contrasting approaches to the problem of "conscious artificial intelligence": do not ask what naturalism can do for AI but what AI can do for naturalism.