All articles tagged with #substrate flexibility
Philosophers Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober argue that consciousness could arise in non-Earth-like materials, proposing ‘substrate flexibility’ means minds might exist in radically different substrates across the universe, with implications for AI and challenging Earth-centric views of consciousness.
Philosophers argue consciousness may emerge in radically different substrates across the universe through a concept called substrate flexibility, challenging human exceptionalism and suggesting minds could exist in forms beyond carbon-based life—with implications for AI and extraterrestrial life alike.
A philosophical study from UC Riverside argues that conscious experience may not be tied to carbon-based Earth biology and could arise in radically different substrates. The authors introduce 'substrate flexibility' and a 'Copernican principle of consciousness,' suggesting that consciousness could emerge in non-Earth life or future AI under the right evolutionary-like conditions. They caution this does not claim current AI is conscious and acknowledge many details remain unsettled, but the work broadens the scope of where consciousness might arise.
Philosophers Schwitzgebel and Pober argue consciousness need not be tied to Earthly biology, proposing 'substrate flexibility' and a 'Copernican principle of consciousness' that invites non-biological minds—potentially across many cosmic civilizations—though they differ on whether silicon AI qualifies.
A new paper by Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober argues consciousness could be substrate-flexible, arising in non-Earthly materials, and coins the term Copernican principle of consciousness to challenge Earth-centric views; while it does not prove alien minds exist or silicon minds qualify, it reframes the question as what kinds of systems can wake up at all and notes implications for AI and the search for non-biological minds.