Engineering Consciousness: Can a Robot Become Self-Aware?
Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation Cultural Forum hosted, on Monday evening, Italian researcher and Professor of Robotics at the University of Palermo and Director of its Robotics Laboratory, Antonio Chella, for a dialogue session titled “Engineering Consciousness: Can a Robot Become Self-Aware?” The session was introduced and moderated by Professor Mutaz Ryalat, Chair of the Robotics and Automation Society Chapter in Jordan and Professor of Mechatronics Engineering at the German Jordanian University.
The dialogue explored one of the most fascinating and controversial scientific and philosophical questions in the age of artificial intelligence: whether it is possible to develop robots capable of possessing some form of consciousness and self-awareness, and whether machines may one day move beyond the boundaries of information processing and decision-making to become aware of themselves and the world around them.
Chella emphasized that intelligence does not necessarily imply consciousness, explaining that intelligent systems are capable of learning, solving problems, making decisions, and generating language without necessarily possessing a subjective experience or an inner awareness of what they are doing. He noted that consciousness remains one of the most complex questions in neuroscience and philosophy, and that understanding whether artificial consciousness is possible first requires a deeper understanding of human consciousness.
During the dialogue, Chella explained that the scientific debate surrounding artificial consciousness is divided between perspectives that argue that consciousness can emerge from the way information and processes are organized within a system, regardless of the material from which it is made, and other perspectives that emphasize the connection between consciousness, the body, sensory experience, and the biological structure of living beings, making the simulation of human consciousness a significant challenge.
Chella also discussed the concept of “embodied intelligence,” noting that the body, and the interaction with the surrounding environment that it enables, plays a fundamental role in developing perception and consciousness. Robots that interact with the physical world, he suggested, may provide a model that brings us closer to understanding the possibility of artificial forms of consciousness.
He presented several research projects being undertaken by his team at the University of Palermo, including the development of robots equipped with what is known as “inner speech.” This system enables robots to articulate their thought processes and decision-making steps aloud, helping humans better understand robot behavior and how robots operate, while enhancing levels of trust and collaboration between humans and machines.
He also presented an experiment involving mirror self-recognition, in which one robot was able to infer that the image it saw in front of it represented its own reflection. Chella noted that such experiments provide an opportunity to study certain aspects related to self-awareness in robotic systems.
The dialogue attracted a notable audience of different age groups and technology and artificial intelligence enthusiasts, reflecting the growing scientific and philosophical debate surrounding artificial consciousness. The session also witnessed extensive engagement from attendees, who took part in in-depth discussions with Chella on a range of issues related to artificial intelligence, including the ethics of developing intelligent systems, the future of robotics in the workplace, the boundaries of the relationship between humans and machines, and the possibility of increasingly autonomous systems emerging in the future. Discussions also addressed the implications of these technologies for human creativity, scientific research, and economic development.
The session concluded by emphasizing that the question “Can a robot become self-aware?” remains open to scientific and philosophical inquiry, and that answering it may reveal as much about the nature of human consciousness as it does about the future of intelligent machines. This comes at a time when questions surrounding artificial intelligence are moving beyond research laboratories and into the heart of everyday life and contemporary societies.