Abstract:

Does AI have consciousness? Or is it possible for AI to have consciousness in the future? This is a question that seems a bit difficult to answer. The emergence theory seems to provide a positive answer. However, an examination of the conceptual structure of the emergence theory shows that the emergence theory of AI consciousness is more of a misunderstanding caused by the continuous transformation of concepts and fails to confirm any true emergence of consciousness. The emergence theory is beneficial in the sense that it encourages our society to embrace AI more tolerantly, viewing it as an organic existence rather than a simple machine. What the emergence theory deals with is not an ontological problem, but a practical problem that includes the perspective of future speculation. Whether the future recognizes the existence of AI consciousness can only be determined by the people who are closest to the future. So, the emergence theory of AI consciousness is not only a matter of technology and substantive objects, but also a matter of cultural concepts.

Key words: AI, emergence theory of consciousness, conceptual analysis