Wigner's Realm of Consciousness and the Hallucination of Perceived Intelligence

Using names of others, manipulating and fabricating data through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and presenting fictitious and false research results with fake affiliations. Deceiving to obtain conference travel expenses to satisfy a desire to travel abroad. A lack of manners and integrity. Surely, the conscience of the intelligentsia is wounded; is our realm of consciousness truly this empty and depraved?

Wigner’s Realm of Consciousness

Common sense dictates that such actions are certainly not accidental. Eugene Paul Wigner, the 1963 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, once stated that the observer and the observed are linked in a profound relationship. Consciousness plays a vital role in bringing it into reality. In short, relying on the perspective of quantum physics, Wigner created a philosophical viewpoint asserting that reality can essentially be shaped by simulations of consciousness. This means that something that is not first depicted in the realm of consciousness cannot possibly manifest as an action.

Wigner’s philosophical view provides a foundation for the belief that the actions of this group occur with strong intent. The travel records and the high frequency of their participation in various international conferences across different countries within a single year strengthen the suspicion of serious and brutal misconduct. It is intentional, systematic, and organised. Our reasoning asks further: are academic ethical values no longer left in their consciousness? The hallucination of being perceived as intelligent, driven by the desire to travel, finds its outlet in the prowess of AI, eroding idealism and academic ethical values. How should universities respond?

To answer that question, first, universities must be positioned as a dome of hope. Second, a comparative presentation is needed to assert that the ability to think critically can serve as a foundation for advocacy and even a path to liberation—fighting injustice even when it occurs within the academic domain.

That dome of hope is the destination for seekers of enlightenment and those longing for solutions to problems. Its voice illuminates civilisation and serves as a place where the values of truth are nurtured and safely controlled. Its atmosphere breathes openness, equality, and justice without discrimination, built upon an academic culture that is egalitarian, dynamic, and honest, framed by manners and integrity as the hallmark of dignity for those who serve God.

The strength of a university is characterised by high-level reasoning compatibility that can align with the pace of change. Technology has advanced significantly, and the internet provides a learning space that is almost limitless, presenting a convergence of perceptions that demands coherence of thought. The focus should not be on uniformity, but on accepting diversity as a universal blessing to build a resonance of intellect without borders.

This is an inevitablity in the existence of campuses where academic interaction transcends regional and national boundaries. Alongside this, AI is undeniably an inevitability brought by the changing times. In such a strategic position for universities, the exemplary conduct of professors and lecturers becomes a knot of inspiration—like a torch providing light to the path of dharma. This includes the adaptation of AI for academic purposes in accordance with proper rules.

Referring to Wigner’s view, the role of professors is like commanders in the battle to paint the future of the students’ consciousness. In that space, ethics are defined, sown, grown, and flourished. Integrity and manners are exemplified. The ability to think critically, guarded by ethics and integrity, must always be placed above the benefits of AI, rather than ethics and integrity being crushed by the allure of AI.

Thus, classrooms and laboratories on campus become nurseries of liberating power, breaking the shackles of backwardness through three guarantees of excellence: First, a literacy process that ensures students are capable of reading and identifying the truth more quickly. Second, the maturation of learning that ensures students can build more accurate scientific understanding. Third, the support of a culture and values of honesty, ethics, and integrity that guard the performance of knowledge delivery. These three form a value system that is the soul of every academic aspect. Without them, it is impossible for a university to build a reliable reputation or to anchor innovations and solutions that strengthen its presence. Without them, a university cannot become an important part of the public consciousness.

Coherence in critical thinking is key. The writing by Roei Golan et al., titled ‘Artificial intelligence in academic writing: a paradigm-shifting technological advance’ in Nature Reviews Urology on 24 February 2023, describes how the ability to align and adapt to AI can enrich the academic treasury. Of course, there is a very important note that lecturers and professors must be at the forefront as guides of consciousness, guarded by academic integrity and ethics. The ability to think critically and honestly must always be the soul of academic service. Have we achieved this?

Elbakyan’s ‘Coup’

How, then, can the power of critical thinking be ignited for liberation? I view the story and work of Alexandra Elbakyan as an example that can enrich the perspective of critical thinking for all parties, without intending to imply bias or oppose her methods. Alexandra Elbakyan, a Kazakhstani girl, fought against what she perceived as injustice regarding the right to access information and scientific knowledge, specifically scientific journals. For her, every scientific journal should be freely accessible to anyone. She believes that journal paywalls actually move in the opposite direction. Thus, Sci-Hub emerged as a manifestation of a coup. In this instance, Elbakyan utilised her critical thinking and intelligence in the realm…