According to [[Donald Hoffman]], a conscious agent refers to an entity or system that has subjective experiences and a sense of self. Hoffman argues that consciousness is not a byproduct of complex computation or neural activity but rather the fundamental nature of reality. Hoffman proposes the theory of "conscious realism," which suggests that our perceptions are not direct representations of the external world, but rather a user interface created by our conscious agents to interact with reality. He argues that evolution has shaped our perception to prioritize survival and reproductive fitness rather than accurately representing the objective reality. On the other hand, [[Michael Levin]] has a different perspective on consciousness and conscious agents. Levin is a biologist and neuroscientist who focuses on understanding how biological systems develop and function. He explores the concept of consciousness from a more biological perspective. Levin's work revolves around understanding how complex organisms can exhibit coordinated behaviors and decision-making processes without relying solely on central control mechanisms like the brain. He suggests that consciousness may arise as a property emergent from complex interactions within biological systems, such as networks of cells or tissues. While both Hoffman and Levin explore different aspects of consciousness and conscious agents, their perspectives converge in challenging traditional views on consciousness and suggesting alternative explanations for its nature and origin. # References ```dataview Table title as Title, authors as Authors where contains(subject, "conscious agent") or contains(subject, "Conscious Agent") or contains(subject, "Conscious Architecture") sort title, authors, modified ```