A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence

by Jeff Hawkins

Now let’s say we create an intelligent machine. The machine learns a model of the world using the same principles as a brain. The internal states of the machine’s model of the world are equivalent to the states of neurons in the brain. If our machine remembers these states as they occur and can replay these memories, then would it be aware and conscious of its existence, in the same way that you and I are? I believe so. If you believe that consciousness cannot be explained by scientific investigation and the known laws of physics, then you might argue that I have shown that storing and recalling the states of a brain is necessary, but I have not proven that is sufficient. If you take this view, then the burden is on you to show why it is not sufficient. For me, the sense of awareness—the sense of presence, the feeling that I am an acting agent in the world—is the core of what it means to be conscious. It is easily explained by the activity of neurons, and I see no mystery in it.