Jordan Daily - University of Petra hosted a discussion on artificial intelligence, robotics and consciousness, bringing together academics and technology enthusiasts to examine whether machines could one day develop subjective experiences or self-awareness.
The event, titled “Conscious Robots: Cognitive Structures, Inner Speech and Self-Awareness,” was organized in cooperation with the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation and Petra University’s Faculty of Information Technology. It was led by Italian professor Antonio Chella and moderated by Mohammad Arafa of the university’s Faculty of Information Technology.
Petra University President Ali Abu Ghanimeh said such events were important as artificial intelligence and robotics advance rapidly, adding that the university sought to strengthen partnerships with scientific and cultural institutions and expose students and faculty to contemporary research and debate.
Chella distinguished between intelligence- the ability to learn, process information, solve problems and make decisions - and consciousness, which involves subjective experience and an internal sense of what is happening.
He said AI systems can hold conversations, analyze images, generate text and interact with people, but that simulating emotions or using emotional language does not necessarily mean a machine has genuine inner experiences.
The discussion also examined theories of consciousness and the need for research spanning neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, computer science, AI and robotics.
Participants discussed trust between humans and robots, the need for explainable AI and ethical questions surrounding machines that may appear to possess emotions or self-awareness.
Chella said whether machines can achieve genuine consciousness remains an open scientific question, noting that humans still do not fully understand how consciousness arises in the brain.
