Machine Consciousness - Bryant McGill

# Machine Consciousness **Entity class:** Alias-bearing research domain **Collections:** [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]] · [[collections/Neurotech|Neurotech]] **Canonical source article:** [[articles/Host-Indexed Autonomy|Host-Indexed Autonomy]] ## Definition **Machine consciousness** is the research domain concerned with possible consciousness in computational or engineered systems. This wiki routes its general scientific treatment through [[wiki/Artificial Consciousness|Artificial Consciousness]] while retaining this page for the widely used name. ## Relationships - **Canonical concept route:** [[wiki/Artificial Consciousness|Artificial Consciousness]]. - **Field route:** [[wiki/Digital Minds|Digital Minds]]. - **Institutional routes:** [[wiki/PRISM (Partnership for Research Into Sentient Machines)|PRISM]] and [[wiki/Conscium|Conscium]]. - **Evidence route:** [[wiki/Consciousness Indicators|Consciousness Indicators]]. - **Collection and source routes:** [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]], [[collections/Neurotech|Neurotech]], and [[articles/Host-Indexed Autonomy|Host-Indexed Autonomy]]. ## Simple Reminders, Quotations, and Thoughts  > "We propose to use all of our knowledge to construct a computer program that knows." > **— John McCarthy and Patrick Hayes**, *Some Philosophical Problems from the Standpoint of Artificial Intelligence (1969), excerpt candidate* *Verification Status: Unverified — exact wording/source has not yet been independently confirmed against a primary source; source clue: Some Philosophical Problems from the Standpoint of Artificial Intelligence (1969), excerpt candidate.* [[reminders/unverified/Building a Computer Program That Knows by John McCarthy and Patrick Hayes|Building a Computer Program That Knows by John McCarthy and Patrick Hayes]] > "Machines as simple as thermostats can be said to have beliefs." > **— John McCarthy**, *Attributed in AI philosophy discussions; primary source pending* *Verification Status: Unverified — exact wording/source has not yet been independently confirmed against a primary source; source clue: Attributed in AI philosophy discussions; primary source pending.* [[reminders/unverified/Can Thermostats Have Beliefs by John McCarthy|Can Thermostats Have Beliefs by John McCarthy]] > "Does life in some way make use of the potentiality for vast quantum superpositions?" > **— Roger Penrose**, *Quantum mind discussion, source verification pending* *Verification Status: Unverified — exact wording/source has not yet been independently confirmed against a primary source; source clue: Quantum mind discussion, source verification pending.* [[reminders/unverified/Does Life Exploit Quantum Superposition by Roger Penrose|Does Life Exploit Quantum Superposition by Roger Penrose]] > "We are not exactly computers. There's something else going on." > **— Roger Penrose**, *Berkeley Groks interview (2005), excerpt candidate* *Verification Status: Unverified — exact wording/source has not yet been independently confirmed against a primary source; source clue: Berkeley Groks interview (2005), excerpt candidate.* [[reminders/unverified/We Are Not Exactly Computers by Roger Penrose|We Are Not Exactly Computers by Roger Penrose]] > "You can simulate a rainstorm, but it never gets wet inside the computer." > **— Christof Koch**, *2024, Nautilus consciousness interview* [[reminders/Consciousness/You Can Simulate a Rainstorm by Christof Koch|You Can Simulate a Rainstorm by Christof Koch]]  ## Sources - [Consciousness in Artificial Intelligence](https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.08708)