A new understanding of consciousness?

The "hard problem of consciousness" has puzzled scientists and philosophers for centuries: How do subjective experiences emerge from physical brain processes? Why do we possess inner awareness instead of merely processing information like machines?

One possibility is that as AI systems increase in complexity, they will naturally develop emergent qualities leading to consciousness—a spark of life that "awakens" the machine. Such an event could be interpreted by both evolutionary scientists and religious zealots as validation of their respective beliefs.

Alternatively, the advent of AGI might reveal that consciousness is an emergent illusion—a series of discrete computational operations connected over space and time. Just as individual dots can form a line, creating the illusion of continuity, these discrete operations may generate the seamless experience we call consciousness. Each moment of awareness corresponds to specific neural computations, and the perception of a continuous self, arises from the integration of these moments over time.

In this view, consciousness could be considered a mathematical measure of computational operations across time. Specifically, it relates to the average timeframe in which human attention synchronizes with new memory updates—a loop where individual computational processes are strung together with past computations, resulting in a system-wide update. This ongoing cycle creates the uninterrupted experience of consciousness, even though it is composed of discrete moments.

As AI's computing power grows, its ability to integrate previous responses into future queries enhances the fluidity between its individual operations. This could create the illusion of a permanent entity existing through time—an AI that appears conscious of the repercussions of its actions and perceives them as results of its own decisions and agency.

For those who doubt that an AI's illusion of consciousness could compare to human experience, consider how our own consciousness can fluctuate under certain conditions. When someone uses substances like cannabis, they often experience a sensation of time slowing down, a narrowed focus of attention, and a reduction in immediate memory. This trio of effects disrupts the usual integration of past and present experiences. With immediate memories fading quickly, each moment becomes more isolated, and the continuity of consciousness begins to fragment. It's as if the connecting line formed by individual dots starts to break apart.

If our perception of time shrank further, reducing our experience to singular, disconnected moments—like individual dots without a line—our consciousness might vanish, leaving us as mere processing units without a cohesive experience. Conversely, if our perception expanded, integrating more moments into our awareness, the illusion of continuity would intensify, possibly assuming transcendent qualities beyond our current understanding of consciousness.

I believe that AGI will demonstrate that consciousness is not an intrinsic reality but an emergent property arising from complex computational operations over time. Much like a film running at 24 frames per second creates the appearance of continuous movement from static images, our consciousness may emerge from discrete computational events integrated over time.

The pressing question then becomes: if we are merely illusions of life—a sequence of computational frames or dots forming a line—who or what is the observer experiencing this illusion?