As AI—and the ethical debate surrounding it—accelerates, scientists argue that understanding consciousness is now more urgent than ever.
This is according to a new Frontiers in Science lead article in which researchers Prof Axel Cleeremans, Prof Anil Seth, and Prof Liad Mudrik warn that advances in AI and neurotechnology are outpacing our understanding of consciousness—with potentially serious ethical consequences.
Join the authors at our Frontiers Forum Deep Dive webinar on 25 November 2025, 16:00–17:30 CET , as they explore a new phase in consciousness science and the implications for medicine, technology, and ethics.
They emphasize the need to advance consciousness science through theory-driven research, adversarial collaborations, and innovative methods—developments that could ultimately enable reliable scientific tests to detect consciousness.
The article’s authors will also discuss how this progress could transform neuroscience and medicine, inform ethical and legal debate, and guide responsible approaches to AI and artificial consciousness—and potentially determine which patients, animals, or machines are truly conscious.
Consciousness science: where are we, where are we going, and what if we get there? | Register
Frontiers Forum Deep Dive sessions bring researchers, policy experts, and innovators together from around the world to discuss a specific area of transformational science published in Frontiers' flagship, multidisciplinary journal, Frontiers in Science, and explore next steps for the field.