TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluating the explanatory power of the Conscious Turing Machine
AU - Kirkeby-Hinrup, Asger
AU - Stenseke, Jakob
AU - Overgaard, Morten S
N1 - Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2024/9
Y1 - 2024/9
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - CTM
KW - Cognitive neuroscience
KW - Computer science
KW - Consciousness
KW - Explanatory power
KW - Philosophy of mind
KW - Turing machines
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85201450976&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103736
DO - 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103736
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 39163807
SN - 1053-8100
VL - 124
SP - 103736
JO - Consciousness and Cognition
JF - Consciousness and Cognition
M1 - 103736
ER -