# AI Consciousness is Inevitable: A Theoretical Computer Science Perspective

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.17101 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.17101/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 5 of its 88 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 25 Mar 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Deep Learning and the Global Workspace Theory](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2012.10390/) (2020)
- [A Theory of Consciousness from a Theoretical Computer Science Perspective: Insights from the Conscious Turing Machine](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.13704/) (2021)
- [A Theoretical Computer Science Perspective on Consciousness](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.09850/) (2020)
- [Brainish: Formalizing A Multimodal Language for Intelligence and Consciousness](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.00001/) (2022)
- [A Theoretical Computer Science Perspective on Free Will](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.13942/) (2022)

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Preliminaries to artificial consciousness: a multidimensional heuristic approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.20177/) (2024)
- [Beyond Mimicry: Preference Coherence in LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.13630/) (2025)
- [What Capable Agents Must Know: Selection Theorems for Robust Decision-Making under Uncertainty](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.02491/) (2026)
- [Just aware enough: Evaluating awareness across artificial systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.14901/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We look at consciousness through the lens of Theoretical Computer Science, a branch of mathematics that studies computation under resource limitations, distinguishing functions that are efficiently computable from those that are not. From this perspective, we develop a formal machine model for consciousness. The model is inspired by Alan Turing's simple yet powerful model of computation and Bernard Baars' theater model of consciousness. Though extremely simple, the model (1) aligns at a high level with many of the major scientific theories of human and animal consciousness, (2) provides explanations at a high level for many phenomena associated with consciousness, (3) gives insight into how a machine can have subjective consciousness, and (4) is clearly buildable. This combination supports our claim that machine consciousness is not only plausible but inevitable.