Montoya Ivanna, Montoya Daniel
Department of Psychology, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC 28301, USA.
Entropy (Basel). 2023 Sep 13;25(9):1328. doi: 10.3390/e25091328.
It has been shown that three-dimensional self-assembled multicellular structures derived from human pluripotent stem cells show electrical activity similar to EEG. More recently, neurons were successfully embedded in digital game worlds. The biologically inspired neural network (BNN), expressing human cortical cells, was able to show internal modification and learn the task at hand (predicting the trajectory of a digital ball while moving a digital paddle). In other words, the system allowed to read motor information and write sensory data into cell cultures. In this article, we discuss Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) theories, and their capacity to predict or even allow for consciousness in a BNN. We found that Information Integration Theory (IIT) is the only NCC that offers the possibility for a BNN to show consciousness, since the Φ value in the BNN is >0. In other words, the recording of real-time neural activity responding to environmental stimuli. IIT argues that any system capable of integrating information will have some degree of phenomenal consciousness. We argue that the pattern of activity appearing in the BNN, with increased density of sensory information leading to better performance, implies that the BNN could be conscious. This may have profound implications from a psychological, philosophical, and ethical perspective.
已经表明，源自人类多能干细胞的三维自组装多细胞结构表现出与脑电图相似的电活动。最近，神经元成功嵌入数字游戏世界。表达人类皮质细胞的生物启发神经网络（BNN）能够显示内部修饰并学习手头的任务（在移动数字球拍时预测数字球的轨迹）。换句话说，该系统允许读取运动信息并将感官数据写入细胞培养物中。在本文中，我们讨论意识的神经关联（NCC）理论，以及它们预测甚至允许BNN具有意识的能力。我们发现信息整合理论（IIT）是唯一一种为BNN显示意识提供可能性的NCC，因为BNN中的Φ值>0。换句话说，记录对环境刺激做出反应的实时神经活动。IIT认为，任何能够整合信息的系统都将具有一定程度的现象意识。我们认为，BNN中出现的活动模式，随着感官信息密度的增加导致更好的性能，意味着BNN可能是有意识的。这可能从心理学、哲学和伦理角度产生深远影响。
