Philosophy of Artificial Consciousness: ACM's Theoretical Framework

How can cognitive architectures inspired by philosophy of mind improve autonomous agents? This paper by Eduardo C. Garrido-Merchán and colleagues presents a global workspace-inspired model integrating attention mechanisms, inner feelings, and preferences.

An Artificial Consciousness Model and Its Relations with Philosophy of Mind, authored by Eduardo C. Garrido-Merchán, Martin Molina, and Francisco M. Mendoza, explores the design of conscious-like agents capable of navigating complex environments.

Key Highlights

• Global Workspace Model: Implements a cognitive architecture inspired by the global workspace theory of consciousness.
• Attention Mechanisms: Introduces an attention system for prioritizing environmental stimuli.
• Autonomous Navigation: Demonstrates the effectiveness of the model in enabling agents to adapt based on inner preferences and past experiences.

Connection to ACM

The Artificial Consciousness Module (ACM) aligns with this study through:

• Cognitive Architectures: ACM’s use of layered simulations and dynamic environments is complemented by insights into global workspace models.
• Attention Mechanisms: Offers strategies for prioritizing multimodal inputs within ACM’s virtual agents.
• Adaptability: Reinforces the importance of emotional and cognitive integration for adaptive learning.

For a detailed examination of the cognitive architecture and experiments, access the full paper here.