SMRTR TechAug 23, 2026Hacker News

Can machines even be conscious?

SMRTR summary

The question of whether AI can be conscious cannot be proven or disproven, for a fundamental reason: consciousness is purely subjective, and no one can verify another's inner experience. Combined with the principle that extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence, claiming machines are conscious becomes impossible to support. Asserting that AI is conscious essentially means humans created consciousness, which seems like dangerous overreach.

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