QUALIA AND CONSCIOUS MACHINES

Abstract

It is argued that qualia are the primary way in which sensory information manifests itself in mind. Qualia are not seen as properties of the physical world, ready to be observed; instead it is argued that they are the way in which the sensory system's response to the sensed stimuli manifests itself inside the system. Systems that have qualia have direct and transparent access to this response. It is argued that even though qualia are produced inside the head, they appear to be outside because this appearance complies with our motions, small and large, in the word. To be conscious in the way that we experience it is to have qualia. True conscious machines must have qualia, but the qualities of machine qualia need not be similar to the qualities of human qualia.