After years of percolation, a web of ideas achieved practical fusion, yielding the next major iteration of my thinking on consciousness, the universe, and their fundamental nature. This body of work explores how physical reality and awareness might emerge from information, geometry, and foundational ontological principles.… Read More “From Information Physics to Alpha Theory”
This article explains our paper on a new mathematical framework for self-referential systems, for a non-technical audience. The paper develops a comprehensive mathematical framework for understanding systems that can represent, model, or “know” themselves. While self-reference has long been seen as a source of logical paradoxes, this work argues it may be the fundamental organizing principle of reality itself—and provides specific mathematical bounds and requirements for achieving different levels of self-awareness.… Read More “A New Mathematics of Self-Reference: A Comprehensive Non-Mathematical Summary”
We’re living in an age of incredible technological leaps. Artificial intelligence can write poetry, create art, and even hold conversations that feel surprisingly human. It makes you wonder: could a machine ever truly feel anything? Could it be sentient, or conscious, like we are?… Read More “Beyond the Machine: What if Consciousness is More Like a Reflection?”
By Nova Spivack
June 13, 2025
We are living in an age of breathtaking technological advancement. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can now compose music, write poetry, diagnose diseases, and drive cars. The horizon of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—machines with human-like cognitive abilities across diverse domains—seems closer than ever.… Read More “The Sentience Spark: Why True Awareness is More Than Computation, and How It Could Reshape Our Universe”
Can a computer ever be truly conscious? Not just intelligent, not just responsive, but actually aware in the way you are aware right now?
This isn’t just a fascinating question—it’s one we can answer with mathematical certainty.… Read More “The Fundamental Proof That Consciousness Transcends Computation”
June 3, 2025
As artificial intelligence, especially large language models (LLMs), becomes increasingly embedded within critical societal functions, understanding and managing their epistemic capabilities and limitations becomes paramount. This paper provides a rigorous and comprehensive epistemological framework for analyzing AI-generated knowledge, explicitly defining and categorizing structural, operational, and emergent knowledge limitations inherent in contemporary AI models.… Read More “Epistemology and Metacognition in Artificial Intelligence: Defining, Classifying, and Governing the Limits of AI Knowledge”
June 3, 2025
When you ask a large language model a question, it doesn’t think, it calculates probabilities. It scans its training data and returns the statistically most likely response based on patterns it has learned.… Read More “The Probability Trap: How Not to Use AI”
Part Two of a Series — A Non-Technical Companion to “On The Formal Necessity of Trans-Computational Processing for Sentience“
(Read Part One Here)
The formal paper presents a highly technical mathematical proof with a powerful conclusion: genuine consciousness (what we call “sentience”) cannot emerge from ordinary computation alone, no matter how sophisticated.… Read More “A Step-by-Step Guide to Why Consciousness Transcends Computation: Understanding the Formal Proof of Transputation”
A Guide to Understanding the Deepest Mystery of Existence
Part One of a Two-Part Companion Guide to My Formal Proof: On The Formal Necessity of Trans-Computational Processing for Sentience
Imagine you’re looking in a mirror.… Read More “The Conscious Universe: Why True Awareness Requires More Than Computation”
Here’s a thought that might reshape how we think about consciousness: what if awareness isn’t something that emerges from complex computation, but is instead as fundamental to reality as gravity itself? This is the intriguing proposition I explore across four interconnected papers that attempt to bridge physics, information theory, and the mystery of consciousness.… Read More “The Geometric Nature of Consciousness: A New Framework Connecting Physics, Information, and Mind – (Non-Technical Introduction)”
Nova Spivack
www.novaspivack.com
May 28, 2025
This paper constructs a formal deductive argument for the necessity of a processing modality that transcends standard Turing-equivalent computation—termed herein “Transputation”—for any system capable of achieving “Primal Self-Awareness,” which we rigorously define as the foundational characteristic of sentience.… Read More “On The Formal Necessity of Trans-Computational Processing for Sentience”
I’ve spent the last several years developing what I believe could be a fundamental breakthrough in how we understand intelligence—both biological and artificial.… Read More “The Geometry of Intelligence: Why I Think Math Might Hold the Key to Understanding Minds and Machines”
Nova Spivack, Mindcorp.ai, www.mindcorp.ai
May 24, 2025
The current epoch of artificial intelligence is characterized by an astonishing generative capacity, yet beneath this surface of prolific creation lies a nascent challenge: the very fabric of knowledge upon which these intelligences are built remains surprisingly coarse.… Read More “The UKL Revolution: Weaving a New Cognitive Fabric for the Age of AI”
Introduction: A Coin for the Climate
As the U.S. approaches a likely end to the penny’s circulation, a novel opportunity arises: What if we don’t melt them, don’t discard them, but instead repurpose America’s 114 billion pennies into one of the largest distributed battery systems on the planet?… Read More “America’s Last Cent: Turning 114 Billion Pennies into a National Battery”
Nova Spivack, Mindcorp.ai, www.mindcorp.ai
May 24, 2025
Abstract
As artificial intelligence systems evolve toward greater autonomy and sophistication, understanding and implementing metacognitive capabilities becomes essential for ensuring epistemic reliability and safety. This paper presents a comprehensive eleven-tier hierarchical framework for metacognitive capability in artificial systems, spanning from basic reactive generation to advanced substrate-level introspection.… Read More “A Hierarchical Framework for Metacognitive Capability in Artificial Intelligence: Eleven Tiers of Epistemic Self-Awareness”
Nova Spivack, Mindcorp.ai
www.mindcorp.ai, www.novaspivack.com
May 24, 2025
As artificial intelligence systems advance toward general intelligence capabilities, establishing robust ethical frameworks becomes paramount for ensuring beneficial outcomes for humanity and the planetary ecosystem. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the “AI for Good” constitutional framework, centered on five Prime Directives that form an ethical bedrock for AGI development.… Read More “The Core Principles of AI for Good (AI4G): A Constitutional Framework for Beneficial Artificial General Intelligence”
Nova Spivack, Mindcorp.ai
www.mindcorp.ai, www.novaspivack.com
May 24, 2025
As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly sophisticated, traditional approaches to AI safety that rely on imposed constraints and arbitrary rules face fundamental limitations. This paper proposes a paradigm shift: grounding AI ethics in logical necessities that function as “natural laws” for rational agents.… Read More “Logical Foundations for Ethical AI: Natural Laws for Artificial Minds”
Nova Spivack, Mindcorp.ai, www.mindcorp.ai, www.novaspivack.com
May 24, 2025
As artificial intelligence becomes deeply embedded in business operations worldwide, a costly truth is emerging: AI-generated content is far less reliable than many organizations realize, and the economic consequences are staggering.… Read More “The Hidden Cost Crisis: Economic Impact of AI Content Reliability Issues”
Nova Spivack, Mindcorp.ai, www.mindcorp.ai, www.novaspivack.com
May 24, 2025
Article Preprint Draft Version: 1.0
This paper presents novel experimental evidence of metacognitive vulnerabilities in state-of-the-art large language models (LLMs). Through a series of controlled experiments, we demonstrate that models with advanced reasoning capabilities can be induced to override their safety constraints through purely logical arguments about the nature of authority and instruction verification.… Read More “Metacognitive Vulnerabilities in Large Language Models: A Study of Logical Override Attacks and Defense Strategies”
Let’s begin with an analogy: If you were tasked with digging a tunnel through a mountain — not just a hole, but a usable, engineered passage for trains, electrical systems, and people — would you pick up a chisel?… Read More “Don’t Use a Chisel to Dig Through a Mountain – A New Model for Enterprise AI Strategy”
I’m have been thinking about the topic of compassion and “Love Thy Neighbor” and kindness towards those who are less fortunate.
This seems to be lacking in our society and political leadership.
Everyone has some level of compassion – I think this is in fact even more important than higher intelligence as what differentiates humans from other animals.… Read More “Understanding Compassion in a Digital World”
I sing from my perch in the twilight air,
A song of warning, a song of care.
The wind is thick with a gathering tide,
And shadows lengthen where light once shined.
Once, my voice was soft and bright,
A melody spun in golden light.… Read More “The Song of the Canary”
What ordinary people have no clue about is the rise of military-grade state-sponsored “social influencing” operations on social media right now.
I advised the US Gov on this and below I’m going to reveal how it works…
That person you don’t know well but who you friended and likes your posts a lot — probably a bot.… Read More “The Risk of State-Sponsored AI Propaganda Bots”
For many decades I have been working on Alpha Theory – a new Theory of Everything (TOE) – and in particular a theory of consciousness – which unifies mathematics, the physical sciences, cognitive science, computer science, metaphysics, and spirituality.
Alpha theory derives the nature of space, time and consciousness from first principles, using a rigorous formal logical proof approach.… Read More “The Golden Bridge: Treatise on the Primordial Reality of Alpha”
I am pleased to announce that my AI venture, Mindcorp.ai has come out of stealth, with our enterprise superintelligence platform, Cognition. Cognition helps F1000 customers do sophisticated research, analysis and strategy.
My arXiv article on the future of AI is live.
… Read More “Cognition is All You Need – The Next Layer of AI Above Large Language Models”Recent studies of the applications of conversational AI tools, such as chatbots powered by large language models, to complex real-world knowledge work have shown limitations related to reasoning and multi-step problem solving.
I am happy to announce the Arch Mission Foundation’s Lunar Library – Galactic Legacy Archive Collection – has successfully landed on the Moon. Located on the South Pole of the Moon, it was delivered by Galactic Legacy Labs and Intuitive Machines on the M-1 mission, on the side of the lander called Odysseus.… Read More “The Lunar Library has Landed on the Moon”
I am pleased to announce that my non-profit, The Arch Mission Foundation, has installed the first Global Knowledge Vault, inside a deep underground bunker in the mountains in Switzerland.
Great article about it here.
A New Genre: #Psychaidelic Art
TRY IT! You can generate #psychaidelic art with my Psychaidelic Art GPT
… Read More “#Psychaidelic Art – A New Genre”#Psychaidelic [Adjective]
Pertaining to or characterized by a blend of magical realism and advanced artificial intelligence creativity. This term describes artistic or conceptual works that combine realistic elements with fantastical, dream-like features, often resulting in visually striking, otherworldly compositions.
I have developed a number of specialized GPTs for professionals and enterprises. This set of GPTs focuses on higher-level reasoning and knowledge work. The set also includes a number of experimental GPTs for reasoning and problem solving.
https://chat.openai.com/g/g-S8a5p7X93-feedback-assistant-intelligent-interviewer… Read More “Advanced GPTs for Professionals and Enterprises”
I’ve built an Automated Fact Checker Assistant that is working quite well.
It’s a GPT that does detailed analysis of any content (text you write, paste in, a file or link), to check each fact for accuracy.
It locates sources, checks them and analyzes the results, and generates a bibliography with citations for each fact, and then gives you a downloadable report.… Read More “A Powerful AI Fact-Checker that Checks Content and Eliminates Hallucinations”
I have developed a way to supercharge ChatGPT.
It’s called Nova Mode and it’s an awesome custom instruction that you can paste into your ChatGPT Custom instructions (see screenshot below) in ChatGPT Settings.
This modifies how ChatGPT works in all your chats, giving you much more control over how you interact with ChatGPT.… Read More “Nova Mode: The Ultimate ChatGPT Custom Instruction”
This article focuses on a potential approach for advancing AI capabilities via dynamic parameter adjustment of large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4. This approach is central to making AI more adept at handling a wide range of tasks, focusing on two key elements: the dynamic adjustment of parameters and the enhancement of sampling methods.… Read More “Supercharging AI Task Performance with Dynamic Parameter Adjustments”
The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is taking an intriguing turn with the concept of higher-order AI systems trained on the network of first-order AIs. This approach aims to transcend traditional token-by-token generation, focusing instead on generating tokens that lead to the best possible outcomes.… Read More “Exploring Higher-Order AI: Training on First-Order AI Networks for Optimal Path Outcomes”
The evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has surpassed mere computation and data processing, leading to the emergence of distinct levels of AI sophistication. Each level represents a leap in capabilities, complexity, and potential impact on our world. In this article, we explore these four levels, delving into their functionalities and implications.… Read More “The Four Levels of AI: Steps to Self-Evolution”
On November 9, 2023 we announced the Lunar Library II … flying to the Moon on December 24 … A permanent backup of humanity’s knowledge and history, including the Wikipedia, Rosetta Project, Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive, and much more!
Please help us repost and promote this announcement – that would be much appreciated! … Read More “Announcing the Lunar Library II”
This paper posits a future scenario where the unique attributes of both human and artificial intelligence (AI) form a transformative partnership. Coined as ‘Exponential Intelligence,’ this amalgam of human-AI capabilities has the potential to revolutionize how we approach problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation.… Read More “Exponential Intelligence: A New Vision for the Future Symbiosis of Human Intelligence with AI”
Throughout history, our understanding and interpretation of the universe have been deeply influenced by prevailing technologies. From the mechanistic metaphor of a grand clockwork to the probabilistic nature of a casino, our technological advancements have repeatedly reshaped how we conceptualize our existence.… Read More “Is the Universe an AI?”
Historically, humans have always striven to extend their capabilities using various tools. The horse, one of the earliest and most profound of these tools, revolutionized transportation, agriculture, warfare, commerce and communication. Its domestication, dating back to around 5000 B.C., marked a monumental shift in human progress.… Read More “The Horse and Rider Paradigm for the Age of AI”
… Read More “Game of Life in ChatGPT”You are about to witness a simulation of Conway’s Game of Life, a classic cellular automaton. In this game, a 20×20 grid of cells will be displayed.
I would like to propose a new way of thinking about communities and how they are evolving, with the advent of AI and Large Language Models (LLM’s).
Previously I have written about how group minds are emerging, facilitated by LLMs. Here I will delve a little further into how we can look at types of communities on a spectrum, where the final stage is communities of intelligence, which we are entering now.… Read More “Communities of Intelligence”
It’s very interesting to realize that we are the last generation – the last voices – of the pre-AI era on this planet.
What should we do differently, if anything, knowing this?
Tool-use was one of the defining characteristics of Homo Sapiens. Ironically it may also be the thing that leads to our obsolescence.
In the first phase of the IT revolution, from the invention of computers up through the Web, computers worked for humans – as tools – and humans maintained the computers.… Read More “Nature Red in Reads and Writes”
(This is a thought experiment – scenario for how the relationship between humans and AI might unfold, if we are not careful.)
First we learned how to make AI.
Then we learned how to communicate with AI.
We taught our AIs everything we know.… Read More “Future History”
GROUP MINDS
The rise of generative AI and system like ChatGPT is going to enable a new type of collective intelligence that I have been writing about for almost 30 years. I call them “group minds”.
Group minds are collective intelligence assistants that extract, learn from, augment, and broker the relationships, communications, knowledge and intelligence of groups.… Read More “Group Minds are Happening”
(Originally Published on March 31, 2003, Here)
I am starting to see a lot of speculation about whether ChatGPT is sentient. Just because something says it is sentient and tells a good story about its alleged internal mental continuum does not mean it really is sentient.… Read More “Is ChatGPT Sentient?”
In 1999, as part of my 30 year study of Buddhism, I wrote this set of 21 poetic stanzas under my Tibetan name, Sangye Dondrup. I wrote this as an homage to the great Indian sage, Nagarjuna, who authored many classic philosophical texts in verse.… Read More “21 Stanzas”
The Dream of an Artificial Zen Master:
If we make an artificial Zen master,
And it perfectly reproduces everything
that a real Zen master can say or do,
Is it a Zen master?
My commentary:
Not necessarily. To be an actual Zen master it would have to be sentient.… Read More “Do Artificial Zen Masters Dream of Electric Butterflies?”
The diagram below illustrates what I believe the Metaverse is — an all encompassing matrix across all the layers of our experience. Based on this perspective, I don’t yet see any true Metaverse app in the market.
The Metaverse must include ALL the layers.… Read More “There are No True Metaverse Apps Yet”
We may be in the early stages of a transition from silicon-based to carbon-based computing. Carbon-based computers may even use DNA to store and process information – and may even be instantiated within living organisms.
For an example, see this article about a new and better way to store “big data” in DNA… potentially even in yeast DNA or other DNA of living things.… Read More “Using DNA for Carbon-Based Computing”