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Full Idea
The main claim of Tononi's 'integrated information theory' is that a system is conscious to the extent that its whole generates more information than its parts.
Gist of Idea
Maybe a system is conscious if the whole generates more information than its parts
Source
Anil Seth (Being You [2021], I.3)
Book Ref
Seth,Anil: 'Being You: new science of consciousness' [Faber 2022], p.61
A Reaction
Seth seems to present this as an 'interesting' proposal. I find it unlikely that consciousness could be explain in terms of information, or that a machine constructed on this principle would thus become conscious. (Databases pass this test).
| 23513 | Single neurons can carry out complex functions [Seth] |
| 23514 | The cerbellum has a huge number of neurons, but little involvement in consciousness [Seth] |
| 23515 | Human exceptionalism plagues biology, and most other human thinking [Seth] |
| 23516 | Maybe a system is conscious if the whole generates more information than its parts [Seth] |
| 23517 | Volition is felt as doing what you want, with possible alternatives, and a source from within [Seth] |
| 23519 | The self is embodied, perspectival, volitional, narrative and social [Seth, by PG] |
| 23518 | Modern AI is mostly machine-based pattern recognition [Seth] |