An experiment seven years in the making has uncovered new insights into the nature of consciousness and challenges two prominent, competing scientific theories: Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT).
IIT suggests that consciousness emerges when information inside a system (like the brain) is highly connected
It is predictable, then, that users are consistently fooled into believing that their AI companions are conscious persons, capable of feeling real emotions.