I personally think that if "general AI" (that is, something akin to human-level or beyond, and possibly sentient) ever happens - it'll happen by accident, and w

I personally think that if "general AI" (that is, something akin to human-level or beyond, and possibly sentient) ever happens - it'll happen by accident, and will be an emergent phenomenon that we won't be able to explain. It will surprise all of us, and will likely be a "earth-shaking", akin to an extra-terrestrial alien contact. Perhaps even more so - because it would be a hard example against the idea of dualism (unless it arises from a quantum computing system - then humans can posit an "out" of course, regardless of whether it is true or not). All pure speculation, of course. I honestly don't think we'll be able to "design" a general AI - we don't even understand how sentience and consciousness (among other things in the philosophy of mind) even works or exists in human brains. We understand the gears and wheels, but can't describe the factory.