Love Beyond Algorithm. Why Will AI Never Be Conscious?

Abstract

The subject of AI consciousness is becoming increasingly relevant as rapid technological developments unfold. This paper argues that artificial intelligence will never attain what can be defined as genuine consciousness. The study begins by defining the nature of real consciousness, which is described as profoundly experiential and relational. Several main arguments against the idea of AI consciousness are examined, with special reference to John Searle’s Chinese Room thought experiment, the implications of Kurt Gödel’s incompleteness theorems as interpreted by Roger Penrose, and the problem of qualia articulated by Thomas Nagel. The final part of the paper maintains that consciousness goes beyond the cognitive level and is a constitutive part of ontological relationships. Building on Martin Buber’s I–Thou framework and reflections from theological anthropology, it argues that love is an ontological dimension of personal being. According to Christian theology, this love is perfectly exemplified in Jesus Christ. Because artificial intelligence is confined to computational programming, the kind of subjectivity required for genuine relational selfhood cannot arrive. Therefore, AI can mostly remain a simulation rather than a conscious entity.