© F. Anceau, Page 1 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop A Model for Consciousness Based on the Sequential Behavior of the Conscious Actions F. ANCEAU CNAM - Paris

© F. Anceau, Page 2 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop One possible story of awareness  The brain of primitive animals was a merging of independent and concurrent control functions.  A possible Darwinian evolution:  Under the pressure of the evolution (efficiency of hunting and escaping), high-level integrative functions begin to appeared.  In order to obtain a consistent behavior of these functions, A Synchronization Mechanism then appeared by the reuse of a part of the Attention Mechanism.  Using this Synchronization Mechanism very efficient high-level Functions (intelligence, memory,…) appear.  Awareness could be that Synchronization Mechanism.

© F. Anceau, Page 3 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop A possible evolution of awareness fish ? dogapehuman? rising of awareness innateautomaticprocesses learnedautomaticprocesses high-level functions Evolution Stream

© F. Anceau, Page 4 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop The starting points of the discussion (1)  We are talking about "basic" (pure) consciousness  Reductive approach: Pure consciousness is consciousness minus every things which are not absolutely necessary: -Intelligence -Long-term memory -Affects -Perceptions -……..  Pure consciousness could be awareness

© F. Anceau, Page 5 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop The starting points of the discussion (2)  Voluntary actions and thoughts are conscious ones.  They are fully sequential: -It is not possible to do several independent conscious actions in parallel (without any training). -training improve the efficiency of actions and allows their concurrent execution but such actions becomes automatic (i.e. less voluntary).  The sequentiality could be a basic property of the awareness (We will see that it could also provide a test for awareness)

© F. Anceau, Page 6 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Principles for consciousness  As in the other domains of science, we have to distinguish between: -The basic principles of a phenomenon (e.g. aerodynamics is the basic principles of flying) -Their instantiation in human or animals (e.g. the flight of a bird)  The principles for consciousness must be extracted by scientific investigation.  Probably, the consciousness of a computer will be as different of the human consciousness than the fight of an aircraft is different of those of a bird.

© F. Anceau, Page 7 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Specificity of this model of awareness  This model differs from the "standard" one: -Awareness is not giving meaning to perceptions.  Intentionality is not necessary. -Awareness is a (specific) process. -Sequentiality is the main property of this conscious process. -Awareness provides timing consistency to high-level mental functions (intelligence, reasoning,….).

© F. Anceau, Page 8 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop A SMALL TEST

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© F. Anceau, Page 17 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop How many: Drawings? Blips?

© F. Anceau, Page 18 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop 7 Drawings 9 Blips

© F. Anceau, Page 19 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Sequentiality  Sequentiality of conscious actions / perceptions seems a logical necessity.  It is not a constraint coming from a resource shortage! (primitive brain was massively parallel)  We have no idea about how we can think in parallel.  This explains why writing a parallel program is so difficult!  We can do parallel actions: -If they are automatic ones (possibly in parallel to a conscious one)

© F. Anceau, Page 20 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Automatic actions  Automatic actions are fully parallel.  They can be triggered by conscious thought.  By learning, a sequence of conscious actions becomes automatic (and parallel).  Automatic actions are more efficient and more accurate than conscious ones.

© F. Anceau, Page 21 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Conscious actions and sequential programming  The formalism of sequential programming can be used to describe conscious actions and thought: -sequence of actions -decisions branching -sub-routine call -interrupt -co-routine (simulating parallel execution by stepping)  We can also execute sequences of a set of simultaneous actions (strictly synchronized actions)

© F. Anceau, Page 22 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Awareness is a (specific) process  Awareness could be seen as a (specific) process (W. James) which could be: -active (during wake-up state) -non-active (during sleep or coma)  This process can stay active, even when it receives no percept.  “Being-for-myself” could be a specific property of this process (First person perspective) Being-in-the-world => Being-for-myself

© F. Anceau, Page 23 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop A process is…. Basic view:  A basic unit of sequential behavior  It contains: -a state (valid at each time) -a means to change this state next state depends on: current state inputs of the process  e. g. an automaton TUTORIAL!

© F. Anceau, Page 24 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Awareness is the kernel of Consciousness Awareness High-level mental functions Consciousness Consciousness = Awareness + High-level Functions

© F. Anceau, Page 25 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Awareness  It contains the "Mystery" of consciousness (Chalmers' hard problem)  Awareness could be the same for many animals and human.  We will suggest a model for awareness

© F. Anceau, Page 26 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop High-level Functions  The complexity of the high-level mental functions makes the difference between human and animals  These functions could be approached by engineering: -Intelligence => Artificial Intelligence -Memorization => Data Bases -Deduction => Inference systems, Automatic provers -Giving meaning => Semantic systems -……..  They are automatic ones -We do not feel how they work! Their behavior is non- conscious.

© F. Anceau, Page 27 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Mental processes  They are: -The Conscious Process (containing awareness) (fully sequential) -Many Automatic Processes (working in parallel)

© F. Anceau, Page 28 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Conscious actions  Conscious (voluntary) actions are triggered by the conscious process  "Reports" about these actions are returned to this process

© F. Anceau, Page 29 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Voluntary versus Conscious actions  Non-Voluntary actions are automatic ones -They are triggered by automatic processes directly by external stimuli (e.g. burning sensation) from a global order given by the conscious process (e.g. running) -But "Reports" about these actions are returned both: as feed-back to the automatic processes for control purpose as global report to the conscious process  We cannot distinguish between Voluntary and non- Voluntary actions on their feed-back from actions!

© F. Anceau, Page 30 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop (serial) control level learning mechanism new automatic process learned automatic processes conscious process automatic processes basic automatic processes (drivers) physical actions report command Awareness

© F. Anceau, Page 31 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Awareness and Attention  We are conscious of the stimuli on which we are paying attention.  The moving of the "focusing point" of the attention scan sequentially our environment. -We pay attention on one thing at a time. -We call "Attention point" the focusing point of the attention.  Then, we can unify the notions of "Attention point" and Awareness.  During the process of the evolution, Awareness could have been derived from the Attention Mechanism.

© F. Anceau, Page 32 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Attention point movement A metaphor:  The global conditions (affects, intentions, needs, external events, etc..) could be seen as twisting a metaphoric mental surface where the attention point moves like a ball.  The Attention Point moves on this surface.  It triggers automatic processes when it reaches their ”sensitivity areas”  It contains nothing else! We can suggest a neural correlate for the Attention point or an electrical realization using formal neurons.

© F. Anceau, Page 33 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Metaphoric mental surface Attention point Metaphoric surface Activation area of an automatic process Local resulting force

© F. Anceau, Page 34 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Synchronization mechanism  They need a synchronization mechanism to have a consistent behavior of the high level funcions. -Notions of "before", "after", etc… -The massively parallel structure of the brain do not provide directly such a synchronization mechanism.  The massively parallel computers need also such synchronization mechanism -Global semaphore, global dating system……  It is not trivial to build a synchronization mechanism on a massively parallel computer.

© F. Anceau, Page 35 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Awareness as an environment  Awareness could be seen as an environment for high- level functions.  This environment makes possible the very existence of high-level brain functions (intelligence, long-term memory, reasoning..) by providing synchronization mechanism to them.  Being-for-Myself could be a by-product of this environment.  The evolutionary advantage of this synchronization mechanism justify its existence.

© F. Anceau, Page 36 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Awareness as an environment environment (sequential) high-level automatic functions elementary automatic processes (massively parallel) consistent behavior lack of consistency (sequentialital) synchronisation Being-for-myself (by-product) (parallel)

© F. Anceau, Page 37 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop A test for awareness  Look (by functional RMI) for the brain behavior for two different conscious separate stimuli (e.g. sounds and images) without training!  Locate the main brain dipoles responsible of theses responses.  Check (by magneto-encephalography) if the brain gives parallel or sequential answer for a simultaneous stimulation.  Sequential answer => existence of a sequential monitor => existence of awareness.

© F. Anceau, Page 38 Sept , Models of Consciousness Exploration Workshop Conclusions All of this is only a set of hypothesis!  Experimental verifications are necessary  This model of awareness is very simple -to understand -to implement (e.g. in a computer)  This point of view can give idea to AI developers: -Importance of sequentiality -The necessity to use of a sequential environment for synchronizing high-level functions  But, this simplicity leave a taste of "something is missing"……. (the Hard Problem!)