Integrated information and predictive processing theories of consciousness: An adversarial collaborative review

The INTREPID Consortium, a group of leading neuroscientists including Giulio Tononi (IIT) and Karl Friston (Active Inference), has published a pivotal review paper outlining a structured 'adversarial collaboration' to test three major theories of consciousness. This marks a significant shift in the field from isolated theoretical debates to coordinated, pre-registered empirical testing. The project will pit Integrated Information Theory (IIT), which posits consciousness arises from the causal power of a system's integrated information, against Neurorepresentationalism and Active Inference (a predictive processing framework). The review establishes the core claims of each theory and defines the specific, testable hypotheses that will be examined across a series of replicated, multi-site experiments.

The collaboration's methodology is designed to overcome common pitfalls in theory comparison. Researchers have pre-specified what kinds of neural or behavioral observations would support or challenge each theory, creating a formal framework for evaluation. Data from disparate experiments will be integrated to provide a quantitative measure of evidential support for each competing framework. This approach, funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, represents a new meta-scientific standard for resolving high-stakes theoretical disputes in neuroscience. The outcome could significantly narrow the field of viable consciousness theories, influencing everything from AI development to clinical assessments of disorders of consciousness.