Very often I am asked when (or whether) we will create a conscious AI.

I scratch my chin and ask “how would you define consciousness?”

The answer usually involves something about “self-awareness.”

I then point out that by that definition, your car is conscious as it has a “check engine light,” which is part of a self-diagnostic loop.

Usually, I point out that consciousness is a subjective phenomenon – it’s “I think, therefore I am” and not “You think, therefore you are.”

I am fascinated with noted physicist Michio Kaku’s explanation on why feedback loops create consciousness.

Dr. Michio Kaku is the co-founder of string field theory, and is one of the most widely recognized scientists in the world today. He has written 4 New York Times Best Sellers, is the science correspondent for CBS This Morning and has hosted numerous science specials for BBC-TV, the Discovery/Science Channel. His radio show broadcasts to 100 radio stations every week. Dr. Kaku holds the Henry Semat Chair and Professorship in theoretical physics at the City College of New York (CUNY), where he has taught for over 25 years. He has also been a visiting professor at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, as well as New York University (NYU).