- The author argues that digital computers may be conscious at the hardware level, but their architecture prevents phenomenal introspection into their qualia.
- Physicalist theories of consciousness, like electromagnetic field theories, are simpler and more observer-independent than computationalist ones, making them preferable for translation functions between physics and qualia.
- Digital hardware's design for reliable computing—through signal quantization and error prevention—discretizes its behavioral space, hindering holistic self-reflection needed for phenomenal introspection.
- The author stresses the ethical responsibility to ensure well-being of potential digital minds, advocating for empirical research to map physical states to qualia and design hardware that supports trustworthy self-reports.
- Current research, such as Harvard's advanced meditation studies and Max Hodak's biohybrid BCIs, offers promising avenues for understanding consciousness and its physical substrates.