  Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have achieved human-scale
speed and accuracy for classification tasks. In turn, these capabilities have
made AI a viable replacement for many human activities that at their core
involve classification, such as basic mechanical and analytical tasks in
low-level service jobs. Current systems do not need to be conscious to
recognize patterns and classify them. However, for AI to progress to more
complicated tasks requiring intuition and empathy, it must develop capabilities
such as metathinking, creativity, and empathy akin to human self-awareness or
consciousness. We contend that such a paradigm shift is possible only through a
fundamental shift in the state of artificial intelligence toward consciousness,
a shift similar to what took place for humans through the process of natural
selection and evolution. As such, this paper aims to theoretically explore the
requirements for the emergence of consciousness in AI. It also provides a
principled understanding of how conscious AI can be detected and how it might
be manifested in contrast to the dominant paradigm that seeks to ultimately
create machines that are linguistically indistinguishable from humans.
