Philosophers argue consciousness may not require Earth-like biology
8 reported
A new working paper from philosophers Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober argues that consciousness could arise in beings built from materials radically different from those found on Earth. The researchers, from the University of California, Riverside and the University of Lisbon, base their argument on the vastness of the universe and the likely existence of many alien civilizations. They introduce the concept of "substrate flexibility," suggesting consciousness is not necessarily tied to any single physical substance. The authors estimate at least 1,000 behaviorally sophisticated extraterrestrial civilizations have existed, calling this figure conservative. They draw on the Copernican tradition in astronomy to argue that assuming consciousness belongs only to Earth-like organisms reflects what they call "terrocentrism." The paper does not take a shared position on whether current artificial intelligence systems are conscious, with the two authors disagreeing on some aspects. The researchers are not claiming that exotic alien life definitely exists, but argue it would be surprising if every evolutionary pathway arrived at the same biological ingredients.
What’s reported
Eric Schwitzgebel is a distinguished professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside.
Jeremy Pober is a former UCR graduate student and now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Lisbon.
The paper introduces the concept of "substrate flexibility" for consciousness.
The authors estimate at least 1,000 behaviorally sophisticated extraterrestrial civilizations have existed in the universe.
They describe this estimate as conservative and point to research suggesting a median estimate of greater than one civilization per galaxy.
The paper draws on the Copernican tradition, arguing that assuming consciousness belongs only to Earth-like organisms is "terrocentrism."
The authors do not take a shared position on whether current AI systems are conscious.
The paper uses the fictional alien from Andy Weir's novel "Project Hail Mary" as an example of a being built from different materials.
Key figures
Eric Schwitzgebel, distinguished professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside
Jeremy Pober, former UCR graduate student, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Lisbon
Sources: ScienceDaily
