Eric Schwitzgebel
@eschwitz.bsky.social
Philosopher, UC Riverside. Father. Human.
There's no shame in losing a long-form popular essay contest on AI consciousness to eminent neuroscientist @anilseth.bsky.social. His piece: www.noemamag.com/the-mytholog...
My piece "AI Mimics and AI Children" appears among the shortlisted contenders here:
loc.closertotruth.com/essay/ai-mim...
My piece "AI Mimics and AI Children" appears among the shortlisted contenders here:
loc.closertotruth.com/essay/ai-mim...
January 14, 2026 at 8:51 PM
There's no shame in losing a long-form popular essay contest on AI consciousness to eminent neuroscientist @anilseth.bsky.social. His piece: www.noemamag.com/the-mytholog...
My piece "AI Mimics and AI Children" appears among the shortlisted contenders here:
loc.closertotruth.com/essay/ai-mim...
My piece "AI Mimics and AI Children" appears among the shortlisted contenders here:
loc.closertotruth.com/essay/ai-mim...
Today's blog post [link in🧵]: Humble superintelligence as a response to AI risk. Build it humble, cautious, and multilateral. Inspired by Burkean conservatism and philosophical Daoism.
January 9, 2026 at 5:34 PM
Today's blog post [link in🧵]: Humble superintelligence as a response to AI risk. Build it humble, cautious, and multilateral. Inspired by Burkean conservatism and philosophical Daoism.
Fascinating piece in the New Yorker on Oliver Sacks, especially his homosexuality and -- unfortunately! -- the fabrications in his lovely and inspiring essays about his patients, esp. in Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.
Since the latter is 1/2
Since the latter is 1/2
December 12, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Fascinating piece in the New Yorker on Oliver Sacks, especially his homosexuality and -- unfortunately! -- the fabrications in his lovely and inspiring essays about his patients, esp. in Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.
Since the latter is 1/2
Since the latter is 1/2
We can introspectively test the Global Workspace Theory of consciousness: Just introspect your experience right now. Is there a welter of detail in many sensory modalities at once? If so, GWT must be false.
Sadly, we are utterly incompetent at introspection.
[link in 🧵]
Sadly, we are utterly incompetent at introspection.
[link in 🧵]
![The Refrigerator Light Error [illustration by Nicolas Demers, p. 218 of The Weirdness of the World]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:tdcgbtd4wvhktrrhksipkuvz/bafkreihdavdufxex5cg2bln6vhfmaxvo5rsw5yfkd2jqe3fqes53ifhgta@jpeg)
December 12, 2025 at 5:17 PM
We can introspectively test the Global Workspace Theory of consciousness: Just introspect your experience right now. Is there a welter of detail in many sensory modalities at once? If so, GWT must be false.
Sadly, we are utterly incompetent at introspection.
[link in 🧵]
Sadly, we are utterly incompetent at introspection.
[link in 🧵]
LLMs overwhelming choose octopus as their favorite animal. But if asked 2nd-favorite animal first, they *also* choose octopus and say corvids are their top favorite, then mistakenly deny that their answers are affected by question order. Link to full blog post in thread.
December 5, 2025 at 5:35 PM
LLMs overwhelming choose octopus as their favorite animal. But if asked 2nd-favorite animal first, they *also* choose octopus and say corvids are their top favorite, then mistakenly deny that their answers are affected by question order. Link to full blog post in thread.
Four Aspects of Harmony
[today's blog post, link in thread]
What is it to harmonize with the world? Inspired by @vonkriegstein.bsky.social, I suggest:
1. Mental correspondence (e.g., knowing, achievements in tune with the world)
2. Positive attitudes (e.g., joy, approval, appreciation)
[1/2]
[today's blog post, link in thread]
What is it to harmonize with the world? Inspired by @vonkriegstein.bsky.social, I suggest:
1. Mental correspondence (e.g., knowing, achievements in tune with the world)
2. Positive attitudes (e.g., joy, approval, appreciation)
[1/2]
November 28, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Four Aspects of Harmony
[today's blog post, link in thread]
What is it to harmonize with the world? Inspired by @vonkriegstein.bsky.social, I suggest:
1. Mental correspondence (e.g., knowing, achievements in tune with the world)
2. Positive attitudes (e.g., joy, approval, appreciation)
[1/2]
[today's blog post, link in thread]
What is it to harmonize with the world? Inspired by @vonkriegstein.bsky.social, I suggest:
1. Mental correspondence (e.g., knowing, achievements in tune with the world)
2. Positive attitudes (e.g., joy, approval, appreciation)
[1/2]
Today's blog post: Representational Realism and the Problem of Tacit Belief [link in comments]
To avoid an infinite proliferation of stored representations, industrial-strength representational realists need to distinguished between core beliefs with explicitly stored [1/3]
To avoid an infinite proliferation of stored representations, industrial-strength representational realists need to distinguished between core beliefs with explicitly stored [1/3]
November 20, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Today's blog post: Representational Realism and the Problem of Tacit Belief [link in comments]
To avoid an infinite proliferation of stored representations, industrial-strength representational realists need to distinguished between core beliefs with explicitly stored [1/3]
To avoid an infinite proliferation of stored representations, industrial-strength representational realists need to distinguished between core beliefs with explicitly stored [1/3]
We Are God's Equals in Intrinsic Moral Value
[today's blog post; link in comments]
A humanlike god running us in a simulation wouldn't have an intrinsically more valuable life than ours. Moreover, adding knowledge, power, and benevolence doesn't increase intrinsic moral worth.
[today's blog post; link in comments]
A humanlike god running us in a simulation wouldn't have an intrinsically more valuable life than ours. Moreover, adding knowledge, power, and benevolence doesn't increase intrinsic moral worth.
November 13, 2025 at 6:04 PM
We Are God's Equals in Intrinsic Moral Value
[today's blog post; link in comments]
A humanlike god running us in a simulation wouldn't have an intrinsically more valuable life than ours. Moreover, adding knowledge, power, and benevolence doesn't increase intrinsic moral worth.
[today's blog post; link in comments]
A humanlike god running us in a simulation wouldn't have an intrinsically more valuable life than ours. Moreover, adding knowledge, power, and benevolence doesn't increase intrinsic moral worth.
Arrived today: My 2024 Clarkesworld story “How to Remember Perfectly” reprinted in Joe Stech’s Think Weirder: Year’s Best Science Fiction ideas. Some great company in the ToC!
November 8, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Arrived today: My 2024 Clarkesworld story “How to Remember Perfectly” reprinted in Joe Stech’s Think Weirder: Year’s Best Science Fiction ideas. Some great company in the ToC!
Two Dimensionalism about Other Minds, and Its Implications for Brain Organoids and Robots
[link in thread]
Two-dimensionalism holds that we are justified in attributing consciousness to others only when *both* their physiology and their functional/behavioral patterns are similar.
[link in thread]
Two-dimensionalism holds that we are justified in attributing consciousness to others only when *both* their physiology and their functional/behavioral patterns are similar.
October 22, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Two Dimensionalism about Other Minds, and Its Implications for Brain Organoids and Robots
[link in thread]
Two-dimensionalism holds that we are justified in attributing consciousness to others only when *both* their physiology and their functional/behavioral patterns are similar.
[link in thread]
Two-dimensionalism holds that we are justified in attributing consciousness to others only when *both* their physiology and their functional/behavioral patterns are similar.
Humanities majors in free fall in the US: Since 2008, English has declined from 3.8% to 1.7% of Bachelor's degrees awarded, history from 2.5% to 1.2%, foreign lang/lit from 1.9% to 0.9%, and philosophy from 0.6% to 0.4%. 22% of philosophy BAs are awarded by just 20 universities.
October 15, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Humanities majors in free fall in the US: Since 2008, English has declined from 3.8% to 1.7% of Bachelor's degrees awarded, history from 2.5% to 1.2%, foreign lang/lit from 1.9% to 0.9%, and philosophy from 0.6% to 0.4%. 22% of philosophy BAs are awarded by just 20 universities.
New book in draft: AI and Consciousness [link in thread]
This book is a skeptical overview of the literature on AI and consciousness.
Anyone who emails me comments on the entire manuscript will be thanked in print and receive an appreciatively signed hard copy.
This book is a skeptical overview of the literature on AI and consciousness.
Anyone who emails me comments on the entire manuscript will be thanked in print and receive an appreciatively signed hard copy.
October 8, 2025 at 5:58 PM
New book in draft: AI and Consciousness [link in thread]
This book is a skeptical overview of the literature on AI and consciousness.
Anyone who emails me comments on the entire manuscript will be thanked in print and receive an appreciatively signed hard copy.
This book is a skeptical overview of the literature on AI and consciousness.
Anyone who emails me comments on the entire manuscript will be thanked in print and receive an appreciatively signed hard copy.
Early Career Hugo Nominations -- Yes, They Definitely Happen
a quantitative analysis [link in thread]
Almost half of Hugo nominations go to early-career authors: 51/112 (46%)
a quantitative analysis [link in thread]
Almost half of Hugo nominations go to early-career authors: 51/112 (46%)
October 2, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Early Career Hugo Nominations -- Yes, They Definitely Happen
a quantitative analysis [link in thread]
Almost half of Hugo nominations go to early-career authors: 51/112 (46%)
a quantitative analysis [link in thread]
Almost half of Hugo nominations go to early-career authors: 51/112 (46%)
The Searle Chair
John Searle died a couple weeks ago. Since people are sharing stories, I'll share one of my own.
As a philosopher of science studying developmental psychology, my dissertation committee initially consisted of Elisabeth Lloyd, Martin Jones, and Alison Gopnik. The topic led me 1/11
John Searle died a couple weeks ago. Since people are sharing stories, I'll share one of my own.
As a philosopher of science studying developmental psychology, my dissertation committee initially consisted of Elisabeth Lloyd, Martin Jones, and Alison Gopnik. The topic led me 1/11
September 29, 2025 at 5:48 PM
The Searle Chair
John Searle died a couple weeks ago. Since people are sharing stories, I'll share one of my own.
As a philosopher of science studying developmental psychology, my dissertation committee initially consisted of Elisabeth Lloyd, Martin Jones, and Alison Gopnik. The topic led me 1/11
John Searle died a couple weeks ago. Since people are sharing stories, I'll share one of my own.
As a philosopher of science studying developmental psychology, my dissertation committee initially consisted of Elisabeth Lloyd, Martin Jones, and Alison Gopnik. The topic led me 1/11
Today's blog post (link in comments):
DigiDan's "Mistake": Fidelity vs Novelty in Digital Replicas
Philosopher Dan Dennett's digital replica was sometimes arguably truer to the overall gist of his corpus than Dennett himself was at the end of his life.
DigiDan's "Mistake": Fidelity vs Novelty in Digital Replicas
Philosopher Dan Dennett's digital replica was sometimes arguably truer to the overall gist of his corpus than Dennett himself was at the end of his life.
September 26, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Today's blog post (link in comments):
DigiDan's "Mistake": Fidelity vs Novelty in Digital Replicas
Philosopher Dan Dennett's digital replica was sometimes arguably truer to the overall gist of his corpus than Dennett himself was at the end of his life.
DigiDan's "Mistake": Fidelity vs Novelty in Digital Replicas
Philosopher Dan Dennett's digital replica was sometimes arguably truer to the overall gist of his corpus than Dennett himself was at the end of his life.
Today's blog post: The Social Semi-Solution to the Problem of AI consciousness
Tenuous consciousness science will bend to support socially motivated reasoning about the consciousness, or not, of AI systems. We will come to think we know, even if we don't know.
Link in comments
Tenuous consciousness science will bend to support socially motivated reasoning about the consciousness, or not, of AI systems. We will come to think we know, even if we don't know.
Link in comments
September 18, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Today's blog post: The Social Semi-Solution to the Problem of AI consciousness
Tenuous consciousness science will bend to support socially motivated reasoning about the consciousness, or not, of AI systems. We will come to think we know, even if we don't know.
Link in comments
Tenuous consciousness science will bend to support socially motivated reasoning about the consciousness, or not, of AI systems. We will come to think we know, even if we don't know.
Link in comments
Women earned 37% of U.S. philosophy doctorates in 2024, up from 28% ten years ago.
Bachelor's degrees show a similar pattern. If it were a pipeline effect, the increase in doctorates should be several years later than the increase in BAs, but it's not. So why explains it?
link in comments
Bachelor's degrees show a similar pattern. If it were a pipeline effect, the increase in doctorates should be several years later than the increase in BAs, but it's not. So why explains it?
link in comments
![[chart showing an increase from about 17% in the 1970s, to about 27% in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2010s, rising to 37% in 2024; click to enlarge and clarify]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:tdcgbtd4wvhktrrhksipkuvz/bafkreicj5hl7a2gev4ot3s444hhw75rcyej7sino2kv3xifnsbmwmhfj54@jpeg)
September 9, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Women earned 37% of U.S. philosophy doctorates in 2024, up from 28% ten years ago.
Bachelor's degrees show a similar pattern. If it were a pipeline effect, the increase in doctorates should be several years later than the increase in BAs, but it's not. So why explains it?
link in comments
Bachelor's degrees show a similar pattern. If it were a pipeline effect, the increase in doctorates should be several years later than the increase in BAs, but it's not. So why explains it?
link in comments
New paper in draft, with Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, critiquing three recent books that address the moral standing of non-human animals and AI systems: @birchlse.bsky.social's The Edge of Sentience, @jeffsebo.bsky.social's The Moral Circle, and Webb Keane's Animals, Robots, Gods. 1/3
August 27, 2025 at 4:42 PM
New paper in draft, with Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, critiquing three recent books that address the moral standing of non-human animals and AI systems: @birchlse.bsky.social's The Edge of Sentience, @jeffsebo.bsky.social's The Moral Circle, and Webb Keane's Animals, Robots, Gods. 1/3
Minimal Autopoiesis in an AI System
One argument against AI consciousness is that consciousness requires autopoiesis (self-maintenance and self-construction), which standard AI systems lack. I describe a minimally autopoietic AI system with only standard engineering features. 1/2 [link in thread]
One argument against AI consciousness is that consciousness requires autopoiesis (self-maintenance and self-construction), which standard AI systems lack. I describe a minimally autopoietic AI system with only standard engineering features. 1/2 [link in thread]
August 15, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Minimal Autopoiesis in an AI System
One argument against AI consciousness is that consciousness requires autopoiesis (self-maintenance and self-construction), which standard AI systems lack. I describe a minimally autopoietic AI system with only standard engineering features. 1/2 [link in thread]
One argument against AI consciousness is that consciousness requires autopoiesis (self-maintenance and self-construction), which standard AI systems lack. I describe a minimally autopoietic AI system with only standard engineering features. 1/2 [link in thread]
Today's blog post [link in comments]: Evolutionary Considerations Against a Plastic Utopia
... why we shouldn't expect things to be boringly easy for even the most amazingly advanced superintelligences.
... why we shouldn't expect things to be boringly easy for even the most amazingly advanced superintelligences.
July 31, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Today's blog post [link in comments]: Evolutionary Considerations Against a Plastic Utopia
... why we shouldn't expect things to be boringly easy for even the most amazingly advanced superintelligences.
... why we shouldn't expect things to be boringly easy for even the most amazingly advanced superintelligences.
Today's blog post [link in comment]: Yayflies and the Rebugnant Conclusion. If utilitarian ethics is correct, it's better to create a quadrillion happy insects each with a millionth the happiness of humans than a million happy people.
July 14, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Today's blog post [link in comment]: Yayflies and the Rebugnant Conclusion. If utilitarian ethics is correct, it's better to create a quadrillion happy insects each with a millionth the happiness of humans than a million happy people.
New paper in draft: The Emotional Alignment Design Policy, with @jeffsebo.bsky.social; link and abstract in comments.
July 7, 2025 at 6:54 PM
New paper in draft: The Emotional Alignment Design Policy, with @jeffsebo.bsky.social; link and abstract in comments.
The great Riverside tradition of setting Mt Rubidoux on fire every Independence Day
July 5, 2025 at 4:23 AM
The great Riverside tradition of setting Mt Rubidoux on fire every Independence Day
Blog post today (link in comments): Three Epistemic Problems for Any Universal Theory of Consciousness
Problem 1: reliance on introspection.
Problem 2: causal confounds.
Problem 3: narrow evidence base.
Problem 1: reliance on introspection.
Problem 2: causal confounds.
Problem 3: narrow evidence base.
July 1, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Blog post today (link in comments): Three Epistemic Problems for Any Universal Theory of Consciousness
Problem 1: reliance on introspection.
Problem 2: causal confounds.
Problem 3: narrow evidence base.
Problem 1: reliance on introspection.
Problem 2: causal confounds.
Problem 3: narrow evidence base.
Taking a nap in Van Gogh’s bed, thanks to Mr Brainwash
June 25, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Taking a nap in Van Gogh’s bed, thanks to Mr Brainwash