The quest to understand consciousness, once the purview of philosophers and theologians, is now actively pursued by scientists of many stripes. This paper studies consciousness from the perspective of theoretical computer science. It formalizes the Global Workspace Theory (GWT) originated by cognitive neuroscientist Bernard Baars and further developed by him, Stanislas Dehaene, and others. Our major contribution lies in the precise formal definition of a Conscious Turing Machine (CTM), also called a Conscious AI. We define the CTM in the spirit of Alan Turing's simple yet powerful definition of a computer, the Turing Machine (TM). We are not looking for a complex model of the brain nor of cognition but for a simple model of (the admittedly complex concept of) consciousness. After formally defining CTM, we give a formal definition of consciousness in CTM. We then suggest why the CTM has the feeling of consciousness. The reasonableness of the definitions and explanations can be judged by how well they agree with commonly accepted intuitive concepts of human consciousness, the breadth of related concepts that the model explains easily and naturally, and the extent of its agreement with scientific evidence.
Soul Computing: A Theoretical Framework and Technical Architecture for Intelligent Agents with Independent Consciousness
Innovation and Management Center, School of Software Technology, Zhejiang University (Ningbo)（浙江大学（宁波）软件学院创新与管理中心）；School of Software Technology, Zhejiang University, Ningbo（浙江大学软件学院（宁波））
The feasibility of artificial consciousness through the lens of neuroscience
Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu（塔尔图大学计算机科学研究所）；Institute of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin（柏林洪堡大学生物学研究所）；Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney（悉尼大学脑与思维中心）
Computer sciences and synthesis: retrospective and perspective
Scientific Research Institute of System Analysis of Russian Academy of Sciences（俄罗斯科学院系统分析科学研究所）；Lesya Ukrayinka Volyn National University（莱斯娅·乌克兰卡沃林国立大学）
School of Computing, Australian National University, ACT 2601, Australia（澳大利亚国立大学计算机学院）；Engine No.2, Bardon, Brisbane, QLD 4605, Australia（Engine No.2）；Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, WC1N 3AZ, London, UK（伦敦大学学院认知神经科学研究所）；INESC-ID, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal（里斯本大学技术高等学院INESC-ID）
From cacophony to hierarchy: a principled framework for assessing AI consciousness
Google DeepMind, DeepMind Institute（谷歌深度思维，深度思维研究院）；Flourishing Intelligence Program, Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford（繁荣智能项目，幸福与人类繁荣中心，牛津大学林纳克学院）；Institute of Philosophy, University of London（伦敦大学哲学研究所）；Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge（剑桥大学菲茨威廉学院）；AI Cognition Institute（人工智能认知研究院）；Rethink Priorities（反思优先组织）；School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex（苏塞克斯大学工程与信息学学院）；Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London（伦敦帝国理工学院脑科学系）；Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex（苏塞克斯大学意识科学中心）；Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge（剑桥大学莱弗休姆未来智能中心）；School of Computing, Australian National University（澳大利亚国立大学计算学院）；University College London（伦敦大学学院）；Department of Computing, Imperial College London（伦敦帝国理工学院计算系）
A physical approach to qualia and the emergence of conscious observers in qualia space
Center for Mathematical Analysis, Geometry and Dynamical Systems, Department of Mathematics, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon（数学分析与动力系统中心，数学系，技术高等学院，里斯本大学）
