The Xenocognition Project
The Xenocogntion Project is a focused attempt to build a first-principles framework that will allow for equitable communication between different types of Alien intelligence - be they hive minds we plug into, or silicon-based life forms we create.
With the rise of Large Language Models, it is becoming clear that we are no longer the only form of intelligent life on this planet. For researchers interested in animal consciousness, this has always been true - but this is arguably the first time we’ve ever been able to have a full conversation with something that isn’t human. Because of this, we are in dire need of principles that help us understand the feedback loops involved with utilizing these new technologies - and perhaps respecting them as the new forms of life that they may be.
Simultaneously, interest in hive-minds and collective human consciousness is at an all-time high. The technology for brain-brain interfacing is seeming more and more likely - with members of the Xenocognition project working specifically on building it as fast and as safely as possible. With this in mind, it seems likely that we are going to have hive-minds in the near future. Xenocognitivists see this information and ask: what will it be like? And more importantly, how will they communicate?
When human beings are connected on a neuron-neuron level, it feels extremely likely that they are not going to communicate using traditional language. This might be fine for intra-hive communication - but what happens when they discover something usable by the whole of humanity? The Xenocognition project aims to help build philosophical methods and linguistic tools to help both singular-nodes and entire-hives communicate equitably with one another, so the inevitable scientific discoveries and incredible phenomenology within the hive minds of the future are not lost to those who do not wish to immediately merge.
While much of this is speculation, there are many actionable ways in which the philosophy of Xenocognition is being pursued. Neurotech, Language Model Qualia Simulations, and Low-Tech methods of experiential Collective Consciousness are just a few examples of ways that Xenocognitivist’s embody the project in their own lives.
If you’re interested in following along or getting involved with the project, consider subscribing to the substack. Nobody can do any of this alone.