Will Machines Have Consciousness Like Humans?

When Robert Wright began his essay, he introduced his topic with a story about a man playing chess against a computer to try to "help defend our dignity" (Wright 140). He went on to explain how he believes that the smarter computers get, the more soulless we may get as humans.

Philosophers are considering more than ever what consciousness is and where it comes from. With the debate about if computers will surpass the human race a big topic, philosophers are having to try to figure the strange phenomenon and explain why consciousness is such a basis to mankind. Consciousness is a foundation for common sense, something that computers may never have. Wright points out that "the hardest thing for computers is the 'simple stuff'" (Wright 141). Computers do not have common sense and cannot recognize a face or a joke.

A major aspect of human beings that computers do not have is emotion. Emotions are what make people, well, people, and computers lack this integral part of humans. Wright addresses this issue in a great way: "The lights are on, but is anyone home?" (Wright 142). The thought processes may be present for a computer, but the emotion and consciousness are greatly lacking.

Although philosophers, including Colin McGinn and David Chalmers, agree that computers will not ever top human consciousness, they still do not totally understand what consciousness is. Although they may use robots such as the robot "Cog" to try to help explain consciousness from basic human movements, this does not explain the human consciousness that includes "a feeling of heat and pain, subjective experience, consciousness" (Wright 143). There are different aspects of consciousness that may never be explained, and because of this, machines will never be able to possess these types of consciousness; that is, "everything they do will be explicable in strictly physical terms" (Wright 144).

Although Chalmers believes that there is an answer to the basis of human consciousness and McGinn does not think that this puzzle will ever be solved, they both agree on one thing: consciousness is a mystery that will take much work to figure out. Machines will not have the abilities humans have, and to create one that would have equal consciousness as a human would "exercise powers reserved for God" (Wright 146).