Integrated Information Theory (IIT), as articulated by Jim Rutt, posits that consciousness arises from the ability of a system to integrate information. A system is conscious to the extent that it can generate a unified, irreducible state of informational complexity. This theory suggests that the richer and more cohesively interconnected the system's informational states are, the higher its level of consciousness. IIT offers a framework to quantitatively measure consciousness based on how information is integrated within the system’s architecture, emphasizing the role of the structure and causal dynamics of the underlying substrate. Through this lens, consciousness is treated as an intrinsic property of systems with high degrees of integrated information, which can be mathematically quantified using a measure called Φ (phi).

See also: emergence, evolutionary computing, causality, evolution