Schwitzgebel, Pober Argue Consciousness Could Span 1,000 Alien Civilizations and Non-Earth Biology
Updated
Updated · UC Riverside · Jun 10
Schwitzgebel, Pober Argue Consciousness Could Span 1,000 Alien Civilizations and Non-Earth Biology
2 articles · Updated · UC Riverside · Jun 10
Summary
A new working paper by Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober argues consciousness is likely not confined to Earth-style flesh-and-blood biology, but could arise in very different kinds of life.
The case rests on “substrate flexibility” — the idea that a property can be realized in multiple materials — and on a Copernican argument that treating Earth biochemistry as uniquely fit for consciousness is unjustified “terrocentrism.”
Their paper estimates at least 1,000 behaviorally sophisticated extraterrestrial civilizations have existed, making it surprising, they argue, if every conscious lineage shared the same biochemical building blocks.
That does not amount to a claim that all advanced life is conscious, or that today’s AI already is: Pober is cautious about current hardware, while Schwitzgebel says silicon cannot be ruled out solely for being silicon.
The broader implication is that consciousness may be a general phenomenon of sufficiently complex systems, even if nonhuman or nonbiological minds look nothing like human experience.
How could we recognize alien consciousness if it is fundamentally different from our own?
If AI can be conscious, what moral obligations do we have to the machines we build?
If consciousness is common in the cosmos, why does the universe seem so silent?
Extending the Copernican Principle: Philosophical and Ethical Implications of Alien and AI Consciousness
Overview
This report explores the idea that consciousness is not unique to humans or Earth, drawing on the work of Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober. By extending the Copernican Principle—which says Earth and humanity are not central in the universe—they argue it is narrow-minded to think only brains like ours can be conscious. If consciousness can arise here, it is likely possible elsewhere, given the universe’s vastness and diversity. The report discusses how this challenges human-centered thinking, considers the possibility of consciousness in artificial intelligence, and highlights the ethical and scientific implications for searching for alien minds.