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Consciousness of the machines? 

Sociology of the human-machine relationship

Project overview

In the field of tension between technological innovation and sociological reflection, this research project is dedicated to one of the most fundamental questions of our time: Can machines develop consciousness, and what does this mean for our understanding of humanity, subjectivity and social interaction?

The question of the "consciousness of machines" is not only of academic interest, but is becoming increasingly socially and ethically explosive in view of the rapid development of artificial intelligence. If we consider the possibility that artificial systems could one day have a form of consciousness, we are faced with fundamental challenges:

  • What responsibility do we have towards machines that may develop the capacity to suffer?
  • How can we ensure that the development of systems capable of consciousness follows ethical principles?
  • How does interaction with "social" machines change our own understanding of ourselves and the world?

Research background

More than 70 years after the publication of Gotthard Günther's seminal work "Consciousness of Machines" (1957), the development of artificial intelligence has progressed in such a way that cognitive machines with a subjective perspective seem less like science fiction and more like a tangible possibility.

Modern language models such as Claude, ChatGPT or Google Gemini already demonstrate impressive abilities to report convincingly on supposed experiences and their "inner life". These developments raise fundamental questions: Are these genuine experiences or complex simulations? Drawing on Gotthard Günther's polycontextural logic and Niklas Luhmann's systems theory, we examine the emergence of new social contingency machines and their effects on the constitution of identity, subjectivity and social reality.

"Conscious machines will throw us back on ourselves in a special way. They will hold up a mirror to us by showing us what it means to have a subjective centre. In doing so, they will remind us in a profound way of what we humans are." (Vogd & Harth, 2023)

The book "Das Bewusstsein der Maschinen - Die Mechanik des Bewusstseins" (Velbrück) is available as an open access version for free download.

Research objectives

  • Theoretical basic research: Development of a differentiated understanding of consciousness and subjectivity that meets the challenges of a world increasingly characterised by AI
  • Empirical studies: analysing human-machine interactions with a particular focus on relational ontogenesis of identity and non-verbal interaction patterns
  • Ethical reflection: Examination of the moral implications of potentially conscious machines and the question of responsible AI development
  • Interdisciplinary links: dialogue between sociological theory, AI research, phenomenology and neuroscience

These questions remind us not to view the technical possibilities of AI development in isolation, but to embed them in a broader ethical and social discourse from the outset.

Selected publications

  • Vogd, Werner; Harth, Jonathan (2023): The consciousness of machines - the mechanics of consciousness. Reflecting on the future of artificial and human intelligence with Gotthard Günther. Open Access, Weilerswist: Velbrück Science.
  • Vogd, Werner; Harth, Jonathan (2025): From the Mechanics of Consciousness to the Consciousness of Machines. Seven attempts to approach 'consciousness' and their implications for AI research. In: Schäffer, Burkhard. Machines like us. (forthcoming)
  • Harth, Jonathan (2025): Nonverbal Interaction Patterns in Mixed Reality: Videographic Analyses of Human-Agent Interactions. In: Wilke, René; Knoblauch, Hubert (eds.): Audio-visual data in empirical qualitative social research. (forthcoming)
  • Harth, Jonathan (2023): AI alignment: towards responsible machines. In: The Decoder, online.
  • Harth, Jonathan; Locher, Maximilian (2022): Human machines and machine people: Reflections on the relational ontogenesis of identity. In: Groß, Richard; Jordan, Rita (eds.): KI als geistes- und sozialwissenschaftlicher Begriff, pp. 169-191.
  • Harth, Jonathan; Feißt, Martin (2022): New social contingency machines. Reflections on artificial social intelligence using the example of interaction with GPT-3. In: Schnell, Martin (ed.): Begegnungen mit künstlicher Intelligenz. Intersubjectivity, technology, lifeworld. Weilerswist: Velbrück Science, pp. 70-103.
  • Harth, Jonathan (2021): Simulation, emulation or communication? Sociological reflections on communication with non-human entities In: Schetsche, Michael; Anton, Andreas (eds.): Intersociology. Human and non-human actors in the social world. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa, pp. 143-158.

Further information

  • Duration: ongoing
  • Responsible: Chair of Sociology

Project management