Opinion: AI and the Conscious Mind

This Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Barry Gault responds to a previous article by Stephen Hawley Martin regarding whether artificial intelligence possesses consciousness. Gault challenges the notion that machines can truly 'think' or experience feelings, using the analogy of a computer chess program defeating a grandmaster. He argues that while the machine wins, it lacks the conscious experience of victory or defeat. The author posits that consciousness is intrinsically linked to life, suggesting that without biological existence, true self-awareness and feeling are impossible for AI. The text serves as a philosophical counterpoint to current debates on machine sentience.