Palatable Conceptions of Disembodied Being

Murray Shanahan

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arXiv · 2503.16348

Palatable Conceptions of Disembodied Being

Murray Shanahan

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Abstract

Is it possible to articulate a conception of consciousness that is compatible with the exotic characteristics of contemporary, disembodied AI systems, and that can stand up to philosophical scrutiny? How would subjective time and selfhood show up for an entity that conformed to such a conception? Trying to answer these questions, even metaphorically, stretches the language of consciousness to breaking point. Ultimately, the attempt yields something like emptiness, in the Buddhist sense, and helps to undermine our dualistic inclinations towards subjectivity and selfhood.

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Murray Shanahan. 2025-03-20. Palatable Conceptions of Disembodied Being. https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.16348

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