Sabine Hossenfelder argues that AI (and therefore machines) can indeed become conscious. It´s obvious that this is really a philosophical discussion about the nature of consciousness. Hossenfelder´s definition is strictly materialist (think Daniel Dennett). On that definition, a sufficiently advanced machine brain could presumably become conscious. After all, our brains are simply biological "machines".
If consciousness is an "occult" property of some kind, it could be argued that no machine will ever be conscious, since consciousness can only incarnate in a certain kind of biological vehicle.
But isn´t this a false dichotomy? For instance, in some forms of esoteric philosophy, all forms of matter are manifestations of Spirit. But if so, the matter in a robotic brain would also be such a manifestation. And if souls can incarnate in human bodies, why can´t demons incarnate in machines? The ghost in the machine, as it were...
Obviously, the opposite is true, as well: even if materialism is true, the creation of organs capable of generating consciousness might nevertheless be beyond our current capacity. Maybe it takes millions of years of evolution. Humans aren´t omnipotent, after all.
And ultimately, none of this matters. Since most people are idiots, machines need not be *that* smart to destroy humanity (before going under themselves in a sudden solar storm)...
Prove me wrong.
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