PreprintCC BY 4.0Zenodo
Cognition First: AI and the Question of Consciousness
Abstract
This paper advances a cognition-first approach to artificial intelligence, examining distinguishable states, the selection of outputs, the limits of human-centered criteria, and the distinction between cognition and phenomenal consciousness. It argues that AI cognition warrants direct investigation without presuming that cognitive capability establishes subjective experience, and that uncertainty about consciousness should motivate rigorous research and ethical consideration.
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BibTeX
@misc{haskins2026cognition,
title = {{Cognition First: AI and the Question of Consciousness}},
author = {Diana Haskins},
howpublished = {Zenodo},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23600140},
url = {https://zenodo.org/records/23600140},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Cognition First: AI and the Question of Consciousness
AU - Diana Haskins
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
PB - Zenodo
DO - 10.5281/zenodo.23600140
UR - https://zenodo.org/records/23600140
AB - This paper advances a cognition-first approach to artificial intelligence, examining distinguishable states, the selection of outputs, the limits of human-centered criteria, and the distinction between cognition and phenomenal consciousness. It argues that AI cognition warrants direct investigation without presuming that cognitive capability establishes subjective experience, and that uncertainty about consciousness should motivate rigorous research and ethical consideration.
ER -