In a recent medium story I just finished writing, I discuss how reinforcement learning is enough to drive behavior that exhibits most if not all abilities studied in natural and artificial intelligence. I also suggest you propose that machines and or software that we create can never be capable of consciousness.

If we are to discard the Cartesian mind/body dichotomy, and opt instead for a hylomorphic approach, then either consciousness evolved out of matter via the process of evolution, or conscious organisms are formed out of an entity that science isn’t yet or more never be aware of. Panpsychism, which is the view that mentality is fundamental and ubiquitous in the natural world, also comes to mind.