Consciousness

I've been following philosophical discussions about AI recently. One idea which seems to penetrate the discussion a whole lot is about whether we should treat AI machines with compassion if they ever reach "consciousness".

I think this is a flawed question because I don't think consciousness is a binary switch, I think it's a spectrum. Consciousness is a fundamental property all living things have evolved with to different degrees. Mold, for example, can grow and form itself by reacting to the environment, and trees "know" when to grow and shed leaves. I think when you look at it this way, consciousness is nothing more than a very complicated accumulation of indifferent particles reacting to the environment by the laws of nature. I think its tempting to see ourselves with such an advanced level of thinking that it's tempting to draw an artificial line in the spectrum and declare one side conscious.

This becomes relevant when talking about morality, but i'll save that for a different rant :)