From a guy that rejected technology as a teenager, engaged with it through his 20s with enthusiasm, had to make a living off of it in his 30s, although with great scepticism, and now pivoted to work with his hands creating things that have no purpose other than to communicate and connect through art with others.The lack of a biological system which has sensors we still can’t fully replicate makes me believe there is no consciousness in AI.I do believe though, that this is not the crucial question. In a way our consciousness is our biggest weakness and just for a few a strength. From a human as a system approach our consciousness or illusion of it is the biggest flaw and makes everything incredibly complex.The pro arguers, in my eyes, are driven by believes that arise when one dives into code and I totally get that, I own thebeautyofcode.com since years. The contra arguers, in my eyes, are driven by lack of understanding and therefore reject it or by a great deal of understanding and therefore reject it, too.We already see a simulation of consciousness being applied to conversational, generative AI, and it’s what creates the illusion of magic. Illusions aren’t inherently bad, but pose dangers when used to simply grab attention, which most nowadays do.