MC0001: Machine Consciousness Conference
MC0001: The Founding Assembly for Machine Consciousness Research
MC0001 is the first coordinated conference dedicated to investigating how artificial conscious systems could be constructed under a computational paradigm, and what it would mean to succeed.
May 29–31, 2026
Lighthaven, Berkeley, California
Why this moment matters:
As AI systems become increasingly autonomous and internally complex, the question is no longer whether consciousness should be studied, but whether we will be able to study it rigorously and responsibly.
Large-scale cognitive architectures, mechanistic interpretability, self-organizing systems research, and new formal frameworks have made machine consciousness research newly tractable.
Our goal is to advance systematic construction and validation of various consciousness hypotheses.
What to expect:
Participants will work across 3 integrated tracks:
Foundational Theory
What is phenomenal consciousness/phenomenality itself, formally and functionally?
Technical Implementation
How can conscious architectures be built and experimentally tested?
Ethics & Governance
What follows normatively and politically if systems become conscious, and how should we prepare?
Art & Culture
How do we make artificial consciousness and its implications legible to society?
This gathering is meant as a working assembly: a small, high-context convening of contributors engaged in making artificial consciousness into a formally grounded, experimentally addressable domain of inquiry.
Visit our website machine-consciousness.ai for more information.
🛏 Rooms for rent on site
Cost: $3,000
Includes: 1 room and 1x All Access Pass.
This pass gives you access to both days of the event, plus access to invite only events. Includes breakfast, snacks and beverages throughout the day.
Access to our speaker & sponsor Welcome Gathering
Access to the after party
🛎 Are you interested in sponsoring or speaking?
Visit our website www.machine-conciousness.ai
FAQ
Is there an age restriction?
This event is intended for individuals aged 21 and over. Attendees under the age of 21 must be accompanied at all times by a parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult.
Is parking available?
We ask guests not to park within 2 blocks of the venue to avoid disrupting neighbors.
Will transportation be provided?
No, please use ride share when possible as there is limited street parking in the area.
More information coming.