Metacognition means thinking about thinking: recognizing or becoming aware of one’s own mental processes. Conscious thoughts enter a shared mental workspace, while breathing or reflexes usually remain outside awareness. section 11.2
Whether artificial intelligence systems possess metacognition remains unsettled. Neurophysiological measures cannot prove the property even in humans, and no established metric shows that a large language model recognizes its own existence. section 11.2
Everyday awareness
Planning a work email while wondering about a recent date illustrates conscious thoughts held together in the workspace; noticing difficult breathing illustrates a normally unconscious process becoming salient. section 11.2
Figure 11.1 A diagram of the global workspace theory
A diagram of global workspace theory helps visualize how selected mental processes become available for conscious recognition. section 11.2
