THE ENIGMA OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE By: Jose Segadaes

Much is discussed or anticipated if Artificial Intelligence agents may one day become conscious and sentient. In essence today's artificial intelligence algorithms are not intelligent and far from ever becoming conscious agents. The relationship between Artificial Intelligence and consciousness is one of the most debated topics in philosophy, neuroscience, and computer science.

Defining Consciousness

Consciousness is generally understood as the subjective experience of awareness and self-reflection. Human consciousness includes emotions, self-awareness, intentionality, and the ability to perceive the world from a first-person perspective. Despite centuries of philosophical inquiry, consciousness remains an elusive concept, with no universally accepted definition or explanation of how it emerges from the physical processes of the brain.

AI: Simulation vs. Reality

Current AI, including large language models and neural networks, operates based on data-driven algorithms that simulate intelligent behavior. These systems process vast amounts of information, recognize patterns, and generate responses that often appear human-like. However, they do not possess subjective experiences, emotions, or self-awareness. AI can mimic cognitive functions but does not “feel” or “understand” in the way humans do.

The Hard Problem of AI Consciousness

Philosopher David Chalmers introduced the “hard problem of consciousness,” which questions how and why physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experiences. Even if AI were to replicate all human cognitive functions, this does not necessarily mean it would develop a first-person experience. The challenge is not just creating an intelligent machine but understanding whether true consciousness is computationally possible. Consciousness may arise from physical complexity or maybe our existence resumes to a mind body duality experience. The physical context assumes that if we have a system or life form with a brain intricate enough in vast amounts of interconnected neuros, complexity paradigm, then the system or life form exhibits consciousness. This perspective concludes that consciousness can thus be replicated. The mind body duality experience on the other hand dictates that we have a physical body composed of matter and a soul, consciousness, which is ethereal, universal and connected to the universal consciousness of our universe or even multiple infinite universes. This view assumes that consciousness being non material cannot then be computed leading to the conclusion that consciousness cannot thus be emulated.

Future Possibilities

Some scientists argue that consciousness could emerge in AI if it were based on new paradigms, such as quantum computing or brain-inspired neural architectures. Others believe that AI will always remain an advanced tool without inner experience.

For now, AI is not conscious—it is an extraordinary but unconscious pattern recognition system. Whether it ever will be remains one of the greatest unanswered questions in science and philosophy.