The Giants Shoulder #104 GIANT'S DEBATE - Whats The SECRET to Engineering Artificial Consciousness? Cognition Vs Feeling
Mar 19, 2026
Dr. Ryan Smith, computational neuroscientist who builds predictive models of brain function. Dr. Mark Solms, neuropsychologist and author focused on affect and consciousness. They debate whether consciousness is raw feeling or complex cognition. They clash over architecture versus embodiment, whether current AI can feel, what machinery would need to have intrinsic goals, and empirical tests like blindsight and neuron-replacement.
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Consciousness From Self Organizing Needs
- Consciousness arises from self-organizing systems that maintain a boundary and prefer states that preserve existence.
- Mark Solms ties subjectivity to a system having a point of view plus intrinsic valence (good/bad) across categorical needs like thirst and sleep.
Consciousness As Selection And Temporal Depth
- Conscious processing seems tied to selecting a limited subset of representations for integration, holding them in mind and using them for goal-directed planning.
- Ryan Smith argues multi-step prospective tasks require selection and temporal depth, distinguishing conscious access from mere unconscious processing.
Feelings As Demand That Drive Cognition
- Raw feeling (affect) can be conscious without higher cognition; cognition may be a response to a prioritized felt demand.
- Mark Solms posits feelings are prioritized needs that drive attention and planning rather than being identical to cognitive operations.
