Conscience in Artificial Agents - A Philosophical and Operational Analysis
Identification
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- doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.76318
- Authors
- Lakshminarasimhan Santhanam
- Reported year
- 2026
- Reported language
- en
- Source type
- article
- First detected
- 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
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- 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
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Documentary abstract — original language
This paper examines whether artificial agents possess conscience by constructing a minimal, operational definition grounded in first principles. It defines conscience as a self-applied normative mechanism that not only evaluates actions but produces binding internal revisions that shape future behavior. Applying this framework to current AI systems, the paper finds that while agents can represent norms and detect violations, they lack persistence, self-continuity, and endogenous update mechanisms, making conscience absent by design.
Identifiers
- OPENALEX
- W7156763367
- DOI
- 10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.76318
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- article
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OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2
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Cite this reference
Lakshminarasimhan Santhanam. Conscience in Artificial Agents - A Philosophical and Operational Analysis. 2026. https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.76318
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- APA
- Lakshminarasimhan Santhanam. (2026). Conscience in Artificial Agents - A Philosophical and Operational Analysis. https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.76318
- Chicago
- Lakshminarasimhan Santhanam. Conscience in Artificial Agents - A Philosophical and Operational Analysis. 2026. https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.76318
- ISO 690
- Lakshminarasimhan Santhanam. Conscience in Artificial Agents - A Philosophical and Operational Analysis. 2026. https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.76318
UDTR Global Rights of Nature Legal Library. Conscience in Artificial Agents - A Philosophical and Operational Analysis. Documentary record: https://www.declarationuniverselledesdroitsdelarbre.org/global-rights-of-nature-radar/reference/r-1a634885ca81bb99b9cd3bc20bc85c5a/ · Last HTTP verification: not performed
Field provenance and record version
Version 22895baf2e9c6fbb · udtr-reference-1.1.2
- Title
- OpenAlex · source · 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
- Authors
- OpenAlex · source · 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
- Year
- OpenAlex · source · 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
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- OpenAlex · source · 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
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- OpenAlex · source · 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
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- OpenAlex · source · 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
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98dee214cf281f07 · 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
26fb7a0a89fa2162 · 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
c7430bee0d44d0fb · 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
22895baf2e9c6fbb · 2026-11-09T19:18:05.541972+00:00
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Discovery source · https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.76318
Discovery source · https://openalex.org/W7156763367
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