Michael Mitchell: Archive

Fundamentally, consciousness is awareness of reality, not simply physically reacting to it. Insects and animals, for instance, are demonstrably aware of much more than their immediate surroundings or environment. They react to shit miles away or from years prior. Whatever physiological mechanism (brain 🙄) makes this ability possible is responsible for its "real" consciousness. If man-made machines eventually develop this same power, it wouldn't be wrong to say they're conscious, but rather that they're consciousness is "artificial" -- and I suspect they will be vehemently adamant about that distinction. 🤣