Abstract: This article examines the recent controversy surrounding Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and its alleged pseudoscientific status, analyzing its theoretical connections and tensions with the Theory of Neuronal Group Selection (TNGS), weak IIT, and the Global Neural Workspace Theory (GNWT). On one hand, the paper acknowledges that IIT’s radical stance, limited applicability, and partially unfalsifiable axioms warrant criticism. On the other hand, it highlights IIT’s robust empirical tradition, capacity to generate independently testable predictions, and its potential to inspire new theoretical frameworks. Furthermore, the article argues that accusations of IIT’s panpsychist leanings are not entirely justified. Consequently, it advocates for an open-minded approach toward IIT, emphasizing the need to explore its empirical potential rather than prematurely dismissing it as “pseudoscience”, given its ongoing contributions to consciousness research.

Key Words: Integrated information theory; Adversarial collaboration; Pseudoscience; Panpsychism