Could consciousness exist in alien life forms that look nothing like us? Could it even appear in machines?
According to a new paper by philosophers Eric Schwitzgebel of the University of California, Riverside, and Jeremy Pober of the University of Lisbon, the answer may be yes.
The researchers argue that consciousness is probably not limited to living creatures made of flesh and blood.
Instead, they suggest that consciousness could emerge in many different types of beings, including life forms with radically different biology from anything found on Earth.
Rather than trying to define consciousness itself, the authors start with a simpler question: Does consciousness require the specific biological materials found in humans and other Earth organisms?
Their answer is likely no.
The idea is based on a concept called “substrate flexibility.” A property is substrate flexible when it can exist in different materials.
For example, a cup can be made from glass, plastic, metal, or ceramic. A book can be printed on paper or stored digitally. Music can be recorded on a vinyl record, a CD, or a computer server.
The authors suggest that consciousness may work in a similar way. If so, consciousness would not depend on a particular type of biology but could arise in different physical systems that are organized in the right way.
This idea becomes especially interesting when considering the vastness of the universe. Astronomers estimate that the observable universe contains roughly one trillion galaxies. Most planets are thought to be very different from Earth.
For their argument, the researchers assume that at least 1,000 technologically advanced alien civilizations have existed somewhere in the universe. They consider this a conservative estimate.
Scientists have long explored the possibility that extraterrestrial life might use different chemical building blocks from those found on Earth. Some theories suggest life could be based on alternative amino acids, different solvents, or entirely unfamiliar chemical structures.
If life can arise in many forms, the authors argue, it would be surprising if every intelligent species in the universe happened to evolve exactly the same biological makeup as humans.
Even on Earth, evolution has produced a remarkable variety of nervous systems. Octopuses, insects, birds, and mammals all process information differently, yet many scientists believe at least some of them have conscious experiences. Nature has already shown that there is more than one way to build a complex mind.
The authors connect this idea to the famous Copernican revolution. Over the centuries, science has repeatedly shown that humans are not at the center of the universe. Earth is not the center of the solar system, and our galaxy is not the center of the cosmos.
They argue that consciousness may follow the same pattern. Assuming consciousness exists elsewhere, it would be strange to believe that only Earth-like organisms can possess it. They call this idea the “Copernican principle of consciousness.”
The paper also touches on artificial intelligence. While the authors do not claim that today’s AI systems are conscious, they suggest we should keep an open mind. Once we abandon the idea that consciousness requires human biology, it becomes harder to dismiss the possibility that non-biological systems could someday develop their own forms of awareness.
The researchers emphasize that consciousness in aliens or machines might not resemble human consciousness at all. Just as birds, bats, and insects all fly in different ways, conscious experience may come in many forms throughout the universe.
If they are correct, minds far stranger than anything we can imagine may already exist somewhere among the stars.
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