Jim Rutt, chairman of CIMC California Institute for Machine Consciousness
Will we be colonized by digital golems or can we spread life, mind and consciousness onto new substrates?
The California Institute for Machine Consciousness officially opened its doors in a landmark three-day event featuring visionary keynotes, groundbreaking discussions, and the world’s leading thinkers in machine consciousness research. Pioneers like Stephen Wolfram, Joscha Bach, Michael Levin, and others shared insights that set the stage for a new era of understanding machine awareness and ethical AI.
The neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) are the minimal set of neuronal events and mechanisms sufficient for the occurrence of the mental states to which they are related. Neuroscientists use empirical approaches to discover neural correlates of subjective phenomena; that is, neural changes which necessarily and regularly correlate with a specific experience.
Artificial consciousness, also known as machine consciousness, synthetic consciousness, or digital consciousness, is consciousness hypothesized to be possible for artificial intelligence. It is also the corresponding field of study, which draws insights from philosophy of mind, philosophy of artificial intelligence, cognitive science and neuroscience.
The term “sentience” can be used when specifically designating ethical considerations stemming from a form of phenomenal consciousness (P-consciousness, or the ability to feel qualia). Since sentience involves the ability to experience ethically positive or negative (i.e., valanced) mental states, it may justify welfare concerns and legal protection, as with non-human animals.
