Tagged: WCAC 2025

The World Conference on Artificial Consciousness has been successfully held for two sessions, with over 10,000 online participants each time, generating significant international influence. From December 26–28, 2025, the 3rd World Conference on Artificial Consciousness (WCAC 2025) will be grandly held at the Northwestern Polytechnical University Taicang Campus (Suzhou, Jiangsu). This marks the first offline gathering of the conference, bringing together top experts and scholars in the global field of artificial consciousness to jointly open a new chapter in artificial consciousness research.

The conference is themed “Exploration of Fundamental Theories and Practical Applications of Artificial Consciousness.” Standing on the high ground of theory and traversing the frontiers of research, it will comprehensively present the deep integration of artificial consciousness and artificial intelligence.

• Core Discussion:
  The conference will systematically explore the core definition, interdisciplinary theoretical origins, and fundamental principles of artificial consciousness. It will also discuss current mainstream consciousness theories (such as Integrated Information Theory, Global Neuronal Workspace Theory, Higher-Order Theories of Consciousness, Quantum Consciousness Theory, etc.), deeply analyzing the essential connections and distinctions between artificial consciousness and human consciousness.

• Interaction:
  The conference focuses on the interaction between artificial consciousness and artificial intelligence, exploring theoretical breakthroughs and application practices of new brain-like intelligence models, including the DIKWP (Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom, Purpose) cognitive framework, as well as the latest progress in embodied intelligence and brain-computer interfaces.

• Ethics and Governance:
  With the rapid development of large models and generative AI technologies, “consciousness-like” phenomena (such as model bias, hallucinations, etc.) have triggered widespread concern. The conference will focus on strategies to eliminate bias and hallucinations, value alignment methods, and ethical governance frameworks. Meanwhile, it will discuss the construction of evaluation systems for large language models and other AI systems, from white-box analysis to black-box verification, ensuring the reliability and safety of artificial consciousness systems.

• Future Outlook:
  It is worth emphasizing that artificial consciousness is regarded as the “brain” of artificial intelligence and is a necessary path to achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). This conference pays special attention to the future outlook of the synergistic development of Artificial Consciousness and AGI, exploring the construction of virtual consciousness in the Metaverse, human-machine symbiosis and co-evolution models, and frontier issues such as AI ethics and human cognitive enhancement.

Through multidisciplinary dialogue, the conference aims to examine technological progress from a strategic height, promote the deep integration of artificial consciousness research with fields such as education, healthcare, and manufacturing, and facilitate the formation of an innovation ecosystem with a global vision.

• Latest Progress and International Response

During the preparation period, the conference has received widespread attention and support from the international academic and industrial communities. In July 2025, the Annual Meeting of the World Artificial Consciousness Association and the Preparatory Meeting for the 3rd Conference were successfully held in Haikou in a hybrid online and offline format. The annual meeting focused on core themes such as “Proactive Health,” “Artificial Consciousness Standards,” and “Global Ethical Governance,” attracting representatives from numerous international organizations and institutions, including the World Health Organization, UN-related agencies, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Nobel Institute of Life Sciences, the Silicon Valley China-US Cooperation Promotion Association, the Europe Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the Sino-European Scientists Forum.

• Dignitary Addresses:
  Current and former Ministers of Health and Education from various countries, as well as academicians from Academies of Engineering and Sciences and leading experts in the AI field, attended online and offline. They delivered speeches at the preparatory opening ceremony, congratulating the conference on its success and elucidating the strategic significance of technological integration from perspectives such as the fusion of supercomputing and AI, and proactive health and artificial consciousness innovation.

• International Support:
  Multiple Nobel Laureates, Turing Award winners, Fields Medalists, and internationally renowned scholars from over twenty countries and regions also conveyed their congratulations and support intentions through written or video messages, expressing their willingness to cooperate with the conference on frontier topics.

The international academic community consistently believes that research on artificial consciousness is gathering wisdom from multiple disciplines and requires global collaboration to address challenges. The conference preparatory group has integrated these positive signals into the preparatory work, striving to build an open cooperation platform to promote deep exchange among experts from different countries and fields.

• Conference Organization and Leadership

The 3rd World Conference on Artificial Consciousness is jointly hosted by the World Artificial Consciousness Association (WACA) and the World Academy for Artificial Consciousness (WAAC), with co-organization and support from Northwestern Polytechnical University and other units.

• Organizational Structure:
  To prepare for the conference, the hosting and undertaking units have established an Organizing Committee and an Academic Committee, inviting renowned domestic and foreign experts and scholars to serve as members.

• Leadership:
  The Organizing Committee has one Chair (Conference Chair), led by Professor Binxiang Jiang and others, responsible for the overall planning and preparation of the meeting.

• Professional Committees:
  The Organizing Committee has established multiple professional committees (such as the Computational Psychology and Cognitive Science Committee, the Proactive Health Committee, the AI Standardization and Evaluation Committee, etc.), responsible for topic setting and paper review in their respective sub-fields. Each committee is chaired by top scholars in the relevant fields to ensure the scientific nature and foresight of the topics.

• Secretariat:
  The Conference Secretariat is located at the Northwestern Polytechnical University Taicang Campus, responsible for daily conference organization, information release, and international exchange coordination.

Through the collaborative operation of multiple institutions and disciplines, this conference will be fully guaranteed under standardized management and open exchange.

• Honorary Chairs of the 3rd World Conference on Artificial Consciousness

• Jingnan Liu: Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

• Seeram Ramakrishna: Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

• Robert Lawrence Kuhn: Recipient of the China Reform Friendship Medal

• Chair of the 3rd World Conference on Artificial Consciousness

• Binxiang Jiang: Dean of the Institute of Computational Psychology, Shandong University

• List of Committee Members for the 3rd World Conference on Artificial Consciousness

• Adam Gazzaley: David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at UCSF, Founder and Executive Director of Neuroscape

• Ahmed Almousa: Sportklinik Hellersen

• Ekpar Ilahun (Aikebaier Yilahong): Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences

• Aleksey A. Gusev: National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health, Russia

• Alhaji Adam Abubakari: Ya Kere HealthCare & Medical Exchange Association, Foreign Secretary-General of WACA

• Andrew “Andy” Adamatzky: Professor of Unconventional Computing, University of the West of England

• Andrew Ng: Professor at Stanford University, Co-founder of Coursera, Founder of Google Brain Project

• Antonio Chella: Professor of Robotics at the University of Palermo, Key Scholar in Artificial Consciousness

• Siwen Bi: Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences

• Begench Annayev: Clinical Cardiology Center of Turkmenistan

• Hengjin Cai: Academician of the International Academy of Advanced Technology and Engineering

• Cathy Price: Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL, Director of the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging

• Carlo Catassi: Università Politecnica delle Marche

• Quanlai Cao: Director of the Institute of Digital Law Science, Changzhou University

• Chang-keun Kim: Inje University, Seoul

• Wantao Chen: Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University

• Christopher A. Pissarides: Professor of Economics at LSE, Nobel Laureate in Economics

• Xiangqun Chen: Nanchang University

• Dana S. Scott: American Logician, Turing Award Winner

• David Gamez: Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at Middlesex University, UK, Artificial Consciousness Scholar

• David J. Chalmers: Professor of Philosophy and Neural Science at NYU, Renowned Philosopher of Consciousness

• Qinxi Dong: Foreign Member of the Engineering Academy of Japan

• Erxiang Dou: Professor at Peking University

• David Bryant Mumford: Professor Emeritus of Applied Mathematics at Brown University, Fields Medalist

• Ehud Ahissar: Professor, Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel; Academician of WAAC

• Yucong Duan: President of the World Academy for Artificial Consciousness

• Ezequiel Morsella: Professor of Neuroscience, San Francisco State University

• Guanghui Fan: Professor at Shenzhen University, Co-Chair of the Proactive Health Committee of WACA

• Kaixi Fan: Professor at China Academy of Art

• Huailiang Feng: Foreign Academician of the National Academy of Engineering Sciences of Ukraine

• Yu Feng: President of Guangming Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Pudong New Area, Shanghai

• Yuanhui Fu: Corresponding Academician of the International Academy of Ecology and Life Protection Sciences (UN)

• Fuad Hajiyev: ADA University, Azerbaijan

• Qiang Gao: Academician of the European Academy of Natural Sciences

• Gerwin Schalk: Professor at Fudan University, Expert in BCI and Applied Neurotechnology

• Yuansheng Guo: Deputy Director of the Jiusan Society Central Science and Technology Committee

• Zhendong Guo: Hainan University

• Yigang He: Professor at Wuhan University, Academician of the European Academy of Natural Sciences

• Helen Toner: Executive Director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University, Expert in AI Policy

• Hien D. Nguyen: Professor at Vietnam National University

• Shuaishuai Huang: World Artificial Consciousness Association

• Huw Price: Former Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge, Expert in AI Risk

• Fuyong Jiao: Academician of the European Academy of Natural Sciences, Co-Chair of the Proactive Health Committee of WACA

• Jan Hovorka: Europe Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Czech Republic

• Weidong Ji: Distinguished Professor (“Changjiang Scholar”) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University

• Jamoliddin Abdullozoda: Minister of Health and Social Protection of Tajikistan

• Guohui Jiang: Foreign Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences

• Linhua Jiang: Foreign Academician of the Ukrainian Academy of Engineering Sciences

• James Ong: Founder and Managing Director, Artificial Intelligence International Institute (AIII), Singapore

• Licheng Jiao: Member of the Academia Europaea

• Julia B. Hirschberg: Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University, Member of NAE and AAAS

• Xian Jin: Director of the Expert Think Tank, Shanghai Association of Chief Engineers

• Anjun Jin: Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences

• Karl J. Friston: Professor at UCL, Authority on Theoretical Neuroscience and Brain Imaging

• Hui Li: Professor at Peking University, Academician of the National Academy of Artificial Intelligence (USA)

• Le Hong Nhung: Vietnam National Children’s Hospital

• Chunguo Li: Professor at Southeast University, Fellow of IET, Fellow of China Institute of Communications

• Hengwei Li: Professor at Zhejiang University

• Hongjun Li: Capital Medical University, Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Co-Chair of the Proactive Health Committee of WACA

• Laziz Niyazov: Bukhara State Medical Institute

• Lizhong Li: Academician of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Reference check required for exact academy name, translated literally as Canadian Academy of Social Sciences)

• Yingbo Li: Secretary-General of the World Academy for Artificial Consciousness, CTO of Publicis Groupe Billimd.com, France

• Yueen Li: Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences

• Hongjian Liu: President of the Innovative Technology Industrialization Research Institute, China-US Silicon Valley Development Promotion Association

• Larissa Gorbach: Republic Scientific and Practical Center “Mother and Child”, Belarus

• Lifang Liu: Wuhan Institute of Technology

• Shiping Liu: Academician of the World Academy of Productivity Science

• Wei Liu: Director of the HCI and Cognition Lab, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications

• Xuan Liu: International Alliance of Academicians and Experts

• Yongmou Liu: Professor at Renmin University of China

• Zhen Liu: Foreign Member of the Engineering Academy of Japan

• May-Britt Moser: Professor of Neuroscience at NTNU, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine

• Yingtian Mei: Secretary-General (China) of the World Artificial Consciousness Association

• Nazarzoda Faridun: Minister of Health of Tajikistan

• Haixi Ni: Wuhan University of Technology

• Huansheng Ning: Academician of the Academy of Engineering in Developed Countries (Reference check required for exact title)

• Peter Bentley: Honorary Professor at UCL, Expert in Evolutionary Computing and Artificial Life

• Yuansheng Qi: Academician of the Academy of Engineering and Technology of the Developing World, Academician of the Pakistan Academy of Engineering

• Rahim Firouzi Bostanabad: Qom University of Medical Sciences

• Ram Hari Chapagain: National Academy of Medical Sciences, Nepal

• Rattan Lal: Professor at Ohio State University, Renowned Soil Scientist, 2020 World Food Prize Laureate

• Roi Cohen Kadosh: Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Surrey

• Sajid Anwar: Director of the Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan

• Senthil Arun Kumar: Parul University

• Delong Shang: Researcher, Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

• Yongduan Song: Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

• Stephen I. Ternyik: Scholar, The Comenius Project

• Xianghui Sun: President of the International Society for Algorithms and Computing Power

• Xiaodong Tan: Professor at Hainan University

• Thomas C. Südhof: Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine

• Tungalag Osgonbaatar: Mongolian Pediatric Association

• Vesna Stojanovic: Pediatric Nephrology Society of Serbia

• Chunhui Wang: Professor at Zhejiang University, Chief Data Officer of the World Academy for Artificial Consciousness

• Włodzisław Duch: Professor at the Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Fellow of INNS, Former President of ENNS, Academician of WAAC

• Huaping Wang: Professor at Sun Yat-sen University

• Wenjie Huang: University of Manchester

• He Wang: Academician of the International Academy of Ecology and Life Protection Sciences (UN)

• Desheng Wu: Member of the Academia Europaea

• Qinghua Xia: Foreign Academician of the National Academy of Engineering Sciences of Ukraine

• Li Xiao: Researcher at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications

• Danxia Xie: Tenured Associate Professor, Institute of Economics, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University

• Zhendong Xie: Academician of the International Academy of Advanced Technology and Engineering, President of Guangdong Smart Transportation Association

• Momiao Xiong: Tenured Professor, Graduate School of UTHealth, University of Texas

• Hejun Xu: First Executive Member of the Computational Law Branch, China Computer Federation

• Xiaojun Yan: Academician of the Russian Academy of Engineering

• Yuval Noah Harari: Professor, Department of History, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Renowned Historian, Author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

• Jin Yu: Professor at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine

• Lei Yu: Inner Mongolia University

• Jinyun Yuan: Academician of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences

• Zafar Ali Choudry: Faisalabad Medical University

• Bin Zhang: Chief Expert of the Intelligent Sensing and Decision Consulting Expert Team, China Association for Science and Technology

• Quanguo Zhang: Foreign Academician of the Russian Academy of Engineering, Foreign Academician of the Ukrainian Academy of Engineering

• Xiao Zhang: Harbin Institute of Technology

• Di Zhao: Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

• Gang Zhao: Academician of the European Academy of Natural Sciences

• Weimin Zheng: Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

• Huiyu Zhou: Corresponding Academician of the National Academy of Artificial Intelligence (USA)

• Keynote Speakers (Partial List)

The conference has invited numerous internationally renowned scholars and academicians as keynote speakers, who hold significant influence in fields such as artificial consciousness, brain-like intelligence, frontier technologies, and engineering applications.

Participating Academicians and Top Experts Include:

• Academician Seeram Ramakrishna (Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering)
• Professor Jingnan Liu (Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering)
• Professor Yongduan Song (Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering)
• As well as multiple academicians from the World Academy for Artificial Consciousness, Fellows of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), Members of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Fellows of the Royal Society, etc.

Internationally Renowned Scholars:

• Dr. Yuval Noah Harari: Author of the “Sapiens Trilogy” and Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI (Note: Nexus is the likely intended reference for his latest work regarding AI, though text says “Beyond Sapiens” or similar, treating as general description of his works)
• Professor Huaping Wang (Sun Yat-sen University): Philosophy of Artificial Consciousness
• Professor Ehud Ahissar (Professor Emeritus, Weizmann Institute of Science; WAAC Academician): Expert in Sensorimotor Neuroscience
• Professor Adam Gazzaley (UCSF Neuroscientist; WAAC Academician): Neurology and Psychology
• Professor Guanghui Fan (Shenzhen University): Proactive Health
• Professor Gerwin Schalk (WAAC Academician; Fudan University): Brain-Computer Interface Expert
• Professor Hengwei Li (Zhejiang University): Theory of Artificial Consciousness
• Professor Włodzisław Duch (Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences): Cognitive Architecture and Artificial Biology Research
• Professor Danxia Xie (Tsinghua University): Economics of Artificial Consciousness
• Professor Julia Hirschberg (Columbia University): Language Processing and Consciousness Interaction Research
• Professor Xiaomi An (Renmin University of China): International Standardization of AI

These scholars and experts will deliver invited reports in online or offline formats, covering frontier topics such as consciousness theory, brain-computer interfaces, ethics of large models, and sustainable intelligent systems. Additionally, young scholars from top universities and research institutions, as well as corporate technical experts, will participate as reporters to ensure the academic depth and innovation of the conference.

• Global Supporters and Partners

The conference has received strong support from experts in multiple fields including philosophy, humanities and social sciences, cognitive and brain sciences, and artificial intelligence.

• Philosophy and Cognitive Science Community:
  Renowned scholars are focusing on frontier issues of artificial consciousness and will discuss the ontology of consciousness and its social impact at the conference.

• Brain Science Field:
  Authoritative professors are actively participating, looking forward to discussing the combination of neural mechanisms and brain-like intelligence.

• Artificial Intelligence Field:
  Leading experts have high hopes for the conference, wishing to take this opportunity to explore innovative models for the integration of AI technology and “Proactive Health.”

Numerous domestic and foreign academic institutions, industry alliances, and associations have expressed their willingness to cooperate. Members of various professional committees of the World Artificial Consciousness Association and international AI societies have confirmed their participation. The conference has also established cooperative relationships with several domestic and international research networks to jointly solicit papers and arrange special symposia. Various supporters will actively assist in the academic exchange and cross-border cooperation of the conference through submissions, attendance, and organizing forums, adding diverse perspectives and resource advantages to the meeting.

• Schedule and Conference Format

The main venue of this conference is located at the Northwestern Polytechnical University Taicang Campus. It adopts an “Offline Main Venue + Global Online Synchronous Participation” mode. The conference provides multi-language simultaneous interpretation and remote access services to facilitate participation and exchange for overseas experts and scholars.

Proposed Schedule:

December 26, 2025 (Friday):

• All Day: Registration
• Evening 19:30: Working Meeting of the World Artificial Consciousness Association and the World Academy for Artificial Consciousness

December 27, 2025 (Saturday):

• Morning: Opening Ceremony and Keynote Reports
• Afternoon: Parallel Thematic Forums (including Theme Forums hosted by the Conference and Sub-forums hosted by various Professional Committees)

December 28, 2025 (Sunday):

• Morning: Continued Keynote Reports
• Afternoon: Closing Ceremony

December 26–28 (Full Duration):

• All Day: Paper Poster Exchange (Poster Session)
• Concurrent Event: International Exhibition on Artificial Consciousness and Advanced AI Equipment, showcasing the latest research achievements and products such as AI hardware equipment, immersive experience devices, brain science and brain-like intelligence instruments, intelligent robots, and psychological and cognitive technology equipment.

During the conference, special working meetings and review meetings will also be organized to summarize annual work and formulate development plans for the next step. After the conference, the Organizing Committee will coordinate the release of the Conference Declaration and Recommended Achievements Report to promote the follow-up of international standards and cooperation plans.

• International Call for Papers and Participation Invitation

The conference is now soliciting research abstracts and participation applications globally, sincerely inviting active participation from all sectors:

1. Call for Abstracts

   We are soliciting unpublished innovative research abstracts (related to the theme of artificial consciousness) from home and abroad, using a Chinese and English abstract format.

   • Requirements: The submission should include a Chinese abstract of 500–800 words and a corresponding English abstract, accompanied by 3–5 keywords.
   • Deadline: Please submit before November 15, 2025.
   • Submission Method: Send the abstract (Word or PDF format, named “AuthorName.doc” or “.pdf”) to the designated conference email: AC2025_3th@163.com. Please indicate “3rd AC Conference Abstract Submission” in the email subject line.
   • Process: After receiving the manuscript, the conference team will send a confirmation receipt. The Academic Committee will organize experts to review and select abstracts for oral presentations or poster displays, and notify the acceptance results before November 30. Those who do not submit papers are also welcome to register and participate in academic exchanges on-site.

2. Registration

   The registration method and fees for the conference will be announced in the second notice. At that time, online registration and payment channels will be opened, and invoice guidance will be provided.

   • Participants are responsible for their own transportation and accommodation expenses. The Organizing Committee can provide booking information for nearby hotels upon request.
   • The conference is open for registration to research institutions, enterprises, and entrepreneurial teams, and specifically encourages university students and young scholars to attend. Attendees will receive conference materials, acceptance certificates, and souvenirs.

3. Academic Exhibition and Cooperation

   The conference will concurrently hold the International Artificial Consciousness and AI Equipment Exhibition, sincerely inviting relevant enterprises, universities, and innovation teams to exhibit.

   • Exhibition Content: AI software and hardware equipment, brain-computer interface instruments, intelligent robots, VR/AR immersive systems, psychological assessment tools, specialized artificial consciousness equipment, etc.

   The exhibition builds an exchange platform for the industry and academia. Attendees can showcase technological achievements and negotiate cooperation projects through booths, promoting the conversion of scientific research results into practical applications.

4. International Exchange and Cooperation

   The conference welcomes international organizations, academic institutions, and industry alliances to participate in the form of forums, special discussions, and publishing cooperation, providing attendees with opportunities for academic resource docking.

   The Organizing Committee will arrange activities such as international cooperation signing seminars and joint laboratory introductions to promote transnational cooperation. For cooperation or participation matters, please contact the Conference Secretariat.

• Conclusion

The Organizing Committee sincerely welcomes experts, scholars, technical experts, investors, and people from all walks of life committed to promoting the development of artificial consciousness and artificial intelligence to participate enthusiastically. Let us gather in Taicang to pool global wisdom and jointly witness the new developments and breakthroughs in the field of artificial consciousness!

• Contact Information

Conference Organizing Committee Contacts:

• Guocun Zhang (Computational Psychology and Cognitive Science Committee, WACA), Tel: 13501205528
• Ming Wang (Northwestern Polytechnical University Taicang Campus), Tel: 130XXXXXXX

Equipment Exhibition Contact:

• Songsong Li (Shandong Big Data Research Association), Tel: 17753182201

Conference Email: AC2025_3th@163.com

• References

1. First Notice of the 3rd World Conference on Artificial Consciousness (20251024-01)
2. The Annual Meeting of the World Artificial Consciousness Association and the Preparatory Meeting for the 3rd World Artificial Consciousness Conference Were Successfully Held | WAAC | World Academy for Artificial Consciousness