The debate about artificial intelligence and consciousness has been heating up lately, particularly with the emergence of increasingly sophisticated AI systems. Reading through various discussions online, I found myself drawn into the fascinating philosophical question of whether AI systems like Claude can truly be conscious.

The traditional view has always been that consciousness is uniquely human, or at least biological. But what if consciousness exists on a spectrum? This perspective resonates with me, especially given how nature rarely deals in absolute binaries. Everything from intelligence to emotional capacity seems to exist on a continuum, so why not consciousness?