First we need to define it. I suspect that the failure to define consciousness or explain what our mind does is rooted in the unproven fact that some ideas can

First we need to define it. I suspect that the failure to define consciousness or explain what our mind does is rooted in the unproven fact that some ideas cannot be reasoned about, cannot be expressed in thoughts, they can only be understood from within, and that understanding can be transferred directly from one to another in a conversation, that would light up the understanding in the listener. The words alone in that conversation aren't sufficient, they simply make the listener more receptive. Using a metaphor, I cannot give you fire over a chat, no matter how well I describe that fire, but I can give it in a face to face interaction, and words can facilitate that. Even though we cannot see the entire elephant, we can discuss its ears, tail and other features. I believe that consciousness has something to do with reflection, internal or external, that it's a property of some process, and thus cannot be represented in a discrete state or expressed as a discrete step-by-step algorithm. It doesn't mean AI can't simulate a fake consciousness, something that looks fake only upon close examination. Mind is a separate thing from consciousness, but it can be conscious or not. And consciousness isn't the same as life.