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Consciousness in the Age of Intelligent Systems: Philosophical Frameworks, Neural...
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Consciousness in the Age of Intelligent Systems: Philosophical Frameworks, Neural Theories, and Generative AI

A special issue of Philosophies (ISSN 2409-9287).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2026) | Viewed by 13566

Special Issue Editors

Dr. James Hutson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Arts and Humanities, Lindenwood University, Saint Charles, MO 63301, USA
Interests: artificial intelligence; XR; neurodiversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Luca M. Possati

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Philosophy, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
Interests: philosophy of technology; psychoanalysis; active inference

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to investigate the nature, structure, and function of consciousness in light of emerging insights from philosophy, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. Central to its focus are questions surrounding the phenomenal character of experience, the unity and selfhood of consciousness, and its relation to information, computation, and embodiment. The Issue engages with recent developments in intelligent systems to explore their implications for longstanding debates in the philosophy of mind, particularly regarding theory selection and explanatory strategies. The scope of this publication includes foundational issues—such as the ontology of consciousness and its explanatory gaps—as well as theory comparison (e.g., Global Neuronal Workspace vs. Integrated Information Theory), methodological considerations (e.g., operationalization, measurement), and ethical dimensions (e.g., agency, machine consciousness, and normative frameworks). The overarching purpose is to synthesize the dialogs and discourses that remain fragmented across disciplinary boundaries.

This Issue builds upon sustained debates in analytic philosophy of mind and responds to growing interest in the “philosophy–science–technology” syntheses highlighted by Philosophies. We aim to complement earlier Special Issues while addressing a rapidly evolving frontier: the intersection of consciousness studies with computational neuroscience and generative AI. In line with the journal’s 2024 editorial direction, this Issue values philosophically grounded, methodologically rigorous, and practically relevant contributions that reflect the renewed integration of conceptual and empirical inquiry.

Suggested Themes and Article Types

We welcome both original research articles and comprehensive reviews. Illustrative topics include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

(1) Phenomenology, selfhood, and minimal phenomenal experience;
(2) Representational, higher-order, enactive, and embodied models of consciousness;
(3) Comparative analysis of GNW, IIT, predictive processing, and free-energy theories;
(4) Conceptual critiques of consciousness measures and operational definitions;
(5) Consciousness in relation to agency, responsibility, and normativity;
(6) Philosophical implications of machine consciousness and evaluation frameworks;
(7) Cross-cultural and historical perspectives that enrich contemporary models;
(8) Meta-theoretical and methodological reflections, such as inference to the best explanation or modeling strategies in consciousness science.

All submissions must clearly articulate the philosophical contribution of any interdisciplinary inquiry.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200 words summarizing their intended contribution. It should be sent to the guest editors (jhutson@lindenwood.edu) (l.m.possati@utwente.nl) or to Philosophies editorial office (philosophies@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors for the purpose of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Prof. Dr. James Hutson
Dr. Luca M. Possati
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Philosophies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • consciousness
  • philosophy of mind
  • phenomenology
  • neural theories (GNW, IIT)
  • predictive processing
  • enactivism and embodiment
  • machine consciousness
  • agency and responsibility
  • measurement of consciousness
  • philosophy of information

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 520 KB  
Article
When the Ghost Emerges from the Machine: Limits of Semantic Decoding from Complete Microstate Knowledge
by Jeffrey Arle
Philosophies 2026, 11(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies11020041 - 19 Mar 2026
Viewed by 544
Abstract
Understanding how high-level meanings emerge from low-level microstate dynamics is a central challenge in both artificial intelligence and consciousness studies. Complex networks can exhibit rich behaviors, yet reliably mapping every microstate onto a semantic label to date seems intractable. To explore these limits, [...] Read more.
Understanding how high-level meanings emerge from low-level microstate dynamics is a central challenge in both artificial intelligence and consciousness studies. Complex networks can exhibit rich behaviors, yet reliably mapping every microstate onto a semantic label to date seems intractable. To explore these limits, a minimal 4-bit model consisting of only a ring of binary cells updated by a parity-flip rule, coupled with a finite lookup table that assigns conceptual tags to selected microstates, is presented. Two core failure modes are noted. First, noise is found to push the system into out-of-training-set states that a semantic decoder cannot label (“missing-label” errors). Second, distinct microstates collapse into the same semantic tag (“many-to-one” grouping), obscuring their unique identities. These findings demonstrate inherent opacity in semantic mapping and suggest fundamental barriers to reverse-engineering high-level content in artificial or biological networks. Future work includes scaling N and examining partial-observability effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consciousness in the Age of Intelligent Systems: Philosophical Frameworks, Neural Theories, and Generative AI)
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9 pages, 1234 KB  
Article
What Artificial Intelligence May Be Missing—And Why It Is Unlikely to Attain It Under Current Paradigms
by Pavel Straňák
Philosophies 2026, 11(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies11010020 - 10 Feb 2026
Viewed by 2303
Abstract
Contemporary artificial intelligence (AI) achieves remarkable results in data processing, text generation, and the simulation of human cognition. However, it appears to lack key characteristics typically associated with living systems—consciousness, autonomous motivation, and genuine understanding of the world. This article critically examines the [...] Read more.
Contemporary artificial intelligence (AI) achieves remarkable results in data processing, text generation, and the simulation of human cognition. However, it appears to lack key characteristics typically associated with living systems—consciousness, autonomous motivation, and genuine understanding of the world. This article critically examines the possible ontological divide between simulated intelligence and lived experience, using the metaphor of the motorcycle and the horse to illustrate how technological progress may obscure deeper principles of life and mind. Drawing on philosophical concepts such as abduction, tacit knowledge, phenomenal consciousness, and autopoiesis, the paper argues that current approaches to developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) may overlook organizational principles whose role in biological systems remains only partially understood. Methodologically, it employs a comparative ontological analysis grounded in philosophy of mind, cognitive science, systems theory, and theoretical biology, supported by contemporary literature on consciousness and biological autonomy. The article calls for a new paradigm that integrates these perspectives—one that asks not only “how to build smarter machines,” but also “what intelligence, life, and consciousness may fundamentally be,” acknowledging that their relation to computability remains an open question. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consciousness in the Age of Intelligent Systems: Philosophical Frameworks, Neural Theories, and Generative AI)
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68 pages, 976 KB  
Article
The Frame Survival Model of Conscious Continuity: A Theoretical Framework for Subjective Experience in a Branching Universe
by Alexander George Kurtz
Philosophies 2026, 11(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies11010014 - 29 Jan 2026
Viewed by 2604
Abstract
The persistence of ordered experience in a quantum-branching universe raises fundamental questions about how continuity is maintained across multiple possible outcomes. The Frame Survival Model (FSM) is a theoretical framework grounded in quantum decoherence, and is applicable to any system—biological or artificial—capable of [...] Read more.
The persistence of ordered experience in a quantum-branching universe raises fundamental questions about how continuity is maintained across multiple possible outcomes. The Frame Survival Model (FSM) is a theoretical framework grounded in quantum decoherence, and is applicable to any system—biological or artificial—capable of sustaining integrated, survival-compatible states. FSM models reality as a sequence of discrete “Hyperframes”—complete matter–energy configurations defined by quantum decoherence events. At each transition, a system either proceeds along a survival-compatible path or terminates its trajectory within that branch. When applied to consciousness, FSM formalizes subjective continuity as “threading” through a network of compatible Hyperframes, yielding an observer-relative path through the multiverse. The same formalism extends to other coherent, path-dependent processes, making FSM relevant to physics, information science, and the life sciences. By providing operational definitions for survival filtering, informational coherence, and frame-to-frame stability, FSM unifies continuity across domains and re-contextualizes longstanding paradoxes—including subjective death, quantum immortality, and identity persistence—without invoking new physics. It further suggests experimentally approachable implications, such as modulation of perceived time by changes in decoherence rates, positioning FSM as both a general continuity principle and a testable framework for applied fields such as cognitive neuroscience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consciousness in the Age of Intelligent Systems: Philosophical Frameworks, Neural Theories, and Generative AI)
24 pages, 1290 KB  
Article
A New Paradigm of Metaverse Philosophy: From Anthropocentrism to Metasubjectivity
by Oleksii Kostenko, Oleksii Dniprov, Dmytro Zhuravlov, Oleksandr Tykhomyrov and Serhii Vladov
Philosophies 2025, 10(6), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies10060117 - 23 Oct 2025
Viewed by 3002
Abstract
This article explores the philosophical and legal foundations of the Metaverse as an emerging socio-technological reality. It examines the co-evolution of technology, law, and society, emphasizing the need for new frameworks to address identity, subjectivity, and regulation in virtual spaces. Central to the [...] Read more.
This article explores the philosophical and legal foundations of the Metaverse as an emerging socio-technological reality. It examines the co-evolution of technology, law, and society, emphasizing the need for new frameworks to address identity, subjectivity, and regulation in virtual spaces. Central to the analysis is the concept of Metasubjectivity, which affirms the ontological equality of humans, AI, and digital avatars. The study critiques classical anthropocentric paradigms and highlights postanthropocentric approaches that integrate ethical pluralism and algorithmic governance. Key risks, including dehumanization, identity crises, and algorithmic discrimination, are discussed in the context of digital subjectivity and emerging e-jurisdictions. The study presents a philosophical model that integrates critical rationalism, process philosophy, and the e-jurisdiction legal paradigm, with the aim of ensuring fairness and balance in digital ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consciousness in the Age of Intelligent Systems: Philosophical Frameworks, Neural Theories, and Generative AI)
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Review

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18 pages, 324 KB  
Review
Can AI Think Like Us? Kriegel’s Hybrid Model
by Graziosa Luppi
Philosophies 2026, 11(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies11010006 - 6 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1706
Abstract
This review provides a systematic critique of the debate between two paradigms in the philosophy of mind—the Naturalist–Externalist Research Program (NERP) and the Phenomenal Intentionality Research Program (PIRP)—with particular focus on Uriah Kriegel’s reconciliation project. Following Kriegel’s view, attention is given to rational [...] Read more.
This review provides a systematic critique of the debate between two paradigms in the philosophy of mind—the Naturalist–Externalist Research Program (NERP) and the Phenomenal Intentionality Research Program (PIRP)—with particular focus on Uriah Kriegel’s reconciliation project. Following Kriegel’s view, attention is given to rational agents’ awareness of their mental states—a key issue since most current artificial intelligence systems aim to model rational thinking and action. Naturalist accounts derive mental content from brain activity and environmental interaction, emphasizing a constitutive dependence of the former on the latter. In contrast, phenomenological theories assert that the object of mental states is an internal semblance presented to the subject. Within this framework, I maintain that Kriegel attempts to naturalize mental content within the framework of a Same Order theory, but this limits his ability to demonstrate that intentionality is grounded in consciousness in the sense of the Phenomenal Intentionality Research Program. Compounding this issue, the idea that the mind arises from manipulating representations has been challenged by dynamical approaches to cognitive science, yet advanced representational models persist, often simulating phenomenological qualities through forms of internal data organization. Methodologically, the approach is primarily comparative and reconstructive, focusing on the structural tensions and theoretical commitments that distinguish NERP and PIRP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consciousness in the Age of Intelligent Systems: Philosophical Frameworks, Neural Theories, and Generative AI)
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