Research

Artificial Consciousness

Research into artificial consciousness, synthetic minds, cognitive architectures, robotics, creativity, and the philosophical and technical challenges of machine consciousness.

2026

Artificial Consciousness investigates the possibility of creating synthetic systems that exhibit properties associated with conscious experience, self-modeling, awareness, agency, and reflective cognition.

The research draws upon philosophy of mind, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, robotics, psychology, neuroscience, and artistic inquiry. It asks not only whether artificial consciousness is possible, but why such systems might be built, what forms they might take, and what ethical, social, and cultural implications would follow.

A central concern is the relationship between theories of consciousness and practical implementation. The field therefore occupies a space between conceptual inquiry and engineering practice, requiring collaboration across disciplinary boundaries.

Research Themes

  • Artificial consciousness
  • Synthetic minds
  • Cognitive architectures
  • Machine self-models
  • Robotics and embodiment
  • Creativity and consciousness
  • Philosophy of mind
  • Human-machine relations
  • Artificial agency
  • Ethics of synthetic consciousness

Smith, D. H., & Schillaci, G. (2021).

Why Build a Robot With Artificial Consciousness? How to Begin? A Cross-Disciplinary Dialogue on the Design and Implementation of a Synthetic Model of Consciousness.

Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 530560.

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  • Robotics
  • Human-Robot Interaction
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Creativity Research