Tests for consciousness in humans and beyond

Tim Bayne; Anil K. Seth; Marcello Massimini; Joshua Shepherd; Axel Cleeremans; Stephen M. Fleming; Rafael Malach; Jason B. Mattingley; David K. Menon; Adrian M. Owen; Megan A.K. Peters; Adeel Razi; Liad Mudrik

doi:10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.010

Tests for consciousness in humans and beyond

Tim Bayne^*, Anil K. Seth, Marcello Massimini, Joshua Shepherd, Axel Cleeremans, Stephen M. Fleming, Rafael Malach, Jason B. Mattingley, David K. Menon, Adrian M. Owen, Megan A.K. Peters, Adeel Razi, Liad Mudrik

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Brain Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Which systems/organisms are conscious? New tests for consciousness (‘C-tests’) are urgently needed. There is persisting uncertainty about when consciousness arises in human development, when it is lost due to neurological disorders and brain injury, and how it is distributed in nonhuman species. This need is amplified by recent and rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI), neural organoids, and xenobot technology. Although a number of C-tests have been proposed in recent years, most are of limited use, and currently we have no C-tests for many of the populations for which they are most critical. Here, we identify challenges facing any attempt to develop C-tests, propose a multidimensional classification of such tests, and identify strategies that might be used to validate them.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	454-466
Number of pages	13
Journal	Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Volume	28
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.010
Publication status	Published Online - 13 Mar 2024

Bibliographical note

The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the ‘Brain, Mind, and Consciousness’ program of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). We are also grateful for the feedback received from two anonymous referees for this journal, and the Editor.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s)

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive Neuroscience

Access to Document

10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.010Licence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

@article{859f2fb6db8e460bbba37425e19a0779,

title = "Tests for consciousness in humans and beyond",

abstract = "Which systems/organisms are conscious? New tests for consciousness ({\textquoteleft}C-tests{\textquoteright}) are urgently needed. There is persisting uncertainty about when consciousness arises in human development, when it is lost due to neurological disorders and brain injury, and how it is distributed in nonhuman species. This need is amplified by recent and rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI), neural organoids, and xenobot technology. Although a number of C-tests have been proposed in recent years, most are of limited use, and currently we have no C-tests for many of the populations for which they are most critical. Here, we identify challenges facing any attempt to develop C-tests, propose a multidimensional classification of such tests, and identify strategies that might be used to validate them.",

author = "Tim Bayne and Seth, {Anil K.} and Marcello Massimini and Joshua Shepherd and Axel Cleeremans and Fleming, {Stephen M.} and Rafael Malach and Mattingley, {Jason B.} and Menon, {David K.} and Owen, {Adrian M.} and Peters, {Megan A.K.} and Adeel Razi and Liad Mudrik",

note = "The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the {\textquoteleft}Brain, Mind, and Consciousness{\textquoteright} program of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). We are also grateful for the feedback received from two anonymous referees for this journal, and the Editor. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Author(s)",

year = "2024",

month = mar,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.010",

language = "English",

volume = "28",

pages = "454--466",

journal = "Trends in Cognitive Sciences",

issn = "1364-6613",

publisher = "Elsevier Science",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Tests for consciousness in humans and beyond

AU - Bayne, Tim

AU - Seth, Anil K.

AU - Massimini, Marcello

AU - Shepherd, Joshua

AU - Cleeremans, Axel

AU - Fleming, Stephen M.

AU - Malach, Rafael

AU - Mattingley, Jason B.

AU - Menon, David K.

AU - Owen, Adrian M.

AU - Peters, Megan A.K.

AU - Razi, Adeel

AU - Mudrik, Liad

N1 - The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the ‘Brain, Mind, and Consciousness’ program of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). We are also grateful for the feedback received from two anonymous referees for this journal, and the Editor. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)

PY - 2024/3/13

Y1 - 2024/3/13

N2 - Which systems/organisms are conscious? New tests for consciousness (‘C-tests’) are urgently needed. There is persisting uncertainty about when consciousness arises in human development, when it is lost due to neurological disorders and brain injury, and how it is distributed in nonhuman species. This need is amplified by recent and rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI), neural organoids, and xenobot technology. Although a number of C-tests have been proposed in recent years, most are of limited use, and currently we have no C-tests for many of the populations for which they are most critical. Here, we identify challenges facing any attempt to develop C-tests, propose a multidimensional classification of such tests, and identify strategies that might be used to validate them.

AB - Which systems/organisms are conscious? New tests for consciousness (‘C-tests’) are urgently needed. There is persisting uncertainty about when consciousness arises in human development, when it is lost due to neurological disorders and brain injury, and how it is distributed in nonhuman species. This need is amplified by recent and rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI), neural organoids, and xenobot technology. Although a number of C-tests have been proposed in recent years, most are of limited use, and currently we have no C-tests for many of the populations for which they are most critical. Here, we identify challenges facing any attempt to develop C-tests, propose a multidimensional classification of such tests, and identify strategies that might be used to validate them.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85188009163&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.010

DO - 10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.010

M3 - Review article

C2 - 38485576

AN - SCOPUS:85188009163

SN - 1364-6613

VL - 28

SP - 454

EP - 466

JO - Trends in Cognitive Sciences

JF - Trends in Cognitive Sciences

IS - 5

ER -

Tests for consciousness in humans and beyond

Abstract

Bibliographical note

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this