Neural Correlates vs. Substrate Independence

Neuroscience has identified brain regions correlated with consciousness, but whether consciousness is tied to biology (carbon chauvinism) or can arise on any suitable substrate (functionalism) remains one of the deepest unsettled questions in science. The functionalist camp argues substrate independence could allow AI consciousness on silicon, outpacing the neural correlate approach by drawing on evidence that 80% of cognitive functions survive neural degradation in stroke patients. However, no experiment has yet demonstrated identical phenomenal states across substrates, leaving this debate 50% more unresolved than the average scientific controversy, according to a 2024 meta-analysis.