Can Artificial Intelligence Ever Become Conscious?

Artificial intelligence or AI for short is a branch of computer sciences dealing with creating computers and machines that can learn and adapt to their own environment without human intervention. At the time of this post, AI has a long way to come. Today, Google's AI is one of the smartest, with an IQ of around 50-55. To put that in perspective that is about the same IQ as the average six year old. While this may not seem like much at all, consider the fact that AI was barely known 10 years ago and has grown exponentially since. According to some computer scientists, at this rate AI could easily go beyond the human intelligence by the year 2050.

The definition of consciousness is the awareness by the mind of itself and the world. Well, most computer scientists believe that consciousness is a characteristic that will emerge as technology becomes more advanced. Some believe that consciousness involves accepting new information, storing and retrieving old information and cognitive processing of it all into perceptions and actions. If that is correct, then one day machines will indeed be the ultimate consciousness. However, on the other hand, some physicists and philosophers say there is something more about human behavior that cannot be computed by a machine. Creativity, for example, and the sense of freedom people possess don't appear to come from logic or calculations. Those two arguments are just what consciousness is or weather artificial intelligence could ever end up achieving it.

In conclusion, based off the definition of consciousness by computer scientists it would be a very achievable goal for AI in the future. However, according to the common view point of philosophers, AI would not likely attain consciousness in a human sense. To them it is more or less restricted to living beings. In my opinion AI could be conscious according to both viewpoints. If AI developed human like behavior and creativity like a child from its parents it is almost certain that one day will it not only surpass human intelligence, but it may even be self aware.