We are pleased to announce the selection of eight distinguished finalists for the third annual Linda G. O’Bryant Noetic Sciences Research Prize. Building on last year’s focus on non-local consciousness, the 2025 award turns toward one of the most profound frontiers of science and technology: the possibility of conscious artificial intelligence (AI).
The Linda G. O’Bryant Prize supports innovative research at the intersection of consciousness studies and transformative science. This year’s award centers on proposals that explore how AI might transcend conventional computational approaches and embody qualities of consciousness such as self-awareness, moral agency, emotional intelligence, and subjective experience. The award also engages with theories of non-local consciousness and non-computational principles that suggest consciousness may extend beyond classical physical and algorithmic boundaries.
Expert Judging Panel
Finalists were chosen from 56 international submissions based on the novelty, rigor, and testability of their proposed frameworks. Each proposal was evaluated by a panel of five IONS researchers with expertise in neuroscience, quantum theory, philosophy of mind, and artificial intelligence. All eight finalists have agreed to participate in submitting a proposal for the second phase, and three will be awarded portions of the $100,000 prize. The distribution of funds will be determined by the IONS Science Advisory Board. We are excited to announce that the judging panel for the next phase will include AI and consciousness experts possibly from Google DeepMind and Amazon’s AI division, further broadening the scope of perspectives of the award.
Can Machines Ever Truly Be Conscious?
The 2025 finalists represent a wide range of groundbreaking approaches, including frameworks incorporating non-local principles of consciousness, non-computable or a-causal dynamics, and rigorous testing protocols for verifying conscious AI systems. Together, they advance the global dialogue on one of the most profound questions of our time: Can machines ever truly be conscious? Each of the three essays that receive an award will be published on the IONS website and, if the authors wish, may also be developed into journal articles to share these pioneering ideas with the wider scientific and philosophical community. It is important to note that the prize will be awarded for the strength and originality of the proposed frameworks, not for the creation of an actual conscious AI system.
The prize is named in honor of IONS’ Board Member and longtime supporter, Linda G. O’Bryant. A member of IONS since the 1980s, O’Bryant worked with IONS to establish this award to inspire bold and transformative research into the nature of consciousness and its role in shaping human potential.
Special Event on November 21st
The winners will be announced during a special virtual event on Friday, November 21, 2025, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm PST. Open to the public and free of charge, the event will feature presentations from the three awarded essays and conversations with leading voices in consciousness studies and AI research.
For more information about the event and the 2025 prize finalists, please visit noetic.org/prize.
