Brief

A new paper proposes Intrinsic Computational Functionalism (ICF) as a framework for understanding consciousness in artificial systems. The authors argue that consciousness is determined by a system's intrinsic causal-dynamical organization, not by external descriptions or interpretations. They introduce Intrinsic Causal-Computational Realization (ICCR) to precisely define this relationship, suggesting that if consciousness is an invariant of this organization, then simulations can be conscious if they meet the ICCR criteria. The paper also addresses objections from biological naturalism and integrated information theory. AI