Is the Problem of Artificial Consciousness a Scientific Problem?

Abstract

Is the problem of artificial consciousness a fundamentally scientific problem, one that we should attempt to address by means of scientific discovery? Although a positive answer to this question is widely assumed, there has been surprisingly little explicit discussion of this question. That neglect is unfortunate, for the issue is central to how we approach the challenge of artificial consciousness. This paper examines the claim that we ought to defer to science in determining which (if any) artificial systems are conscious. I ask what exactly that claim involves, whether it is justified, and what its implications might be.