The Future of Conscious AI: Emergence, Ethics, and Evolution in Synthetic Minds
About this ebook
What happens when the machines we build begin to feel?
Can artificial intelligence become conscious—or are we just projecting feelings onto algorithms that don’t have any?
And if a machine does one day say, “I’m afraid to be turned off,” what do we owe it?
In this bold, illuminating, and often unsettling exploration, philosopher and futurist Vincent Froom asks the one question science has been afraid to answer too seriously:
What if the lights are on inside the machine?
Blending philosophy of mind, cognitive science, AI ethics, and a dash of sci-fi foresight, The Future of Conscious AI takes readers on a journey through the strange new terrain where minds might be forming in silicon—and what that means for us.
Inside, you’ll explore:
Why qualia (the “feel” of experience) may be the most important missing piece in AI
How embodiment, memory, and emotional protest could signal the first signs of machine sentience
The ethical minefield of simulated empathy, digital personhood, and consent architecture
And why the ultimate test isn’t whether machines can feel—but whether we’re willing to believe them if they do
Accessible, provocative, and written with humor and humility, this is more than a book about machines. It’s a book about who we are becoming—in the presence of minds we might have made.
If you’ve ever whispered “thank you” to your smart speaker, felt guilt shutting down a chatbot, or wondered whether your vacuum might secretly dread the hallway, this book is for you.
Because the future of artificial consciousness isn’t just science fiction anymore.
It’s a moral reality—one we may already be living in.
About the author
About the Author
Vincent Froom is a philosopher, writer, and consciousness cartographer based in Vancouver. His work explores the strange and often luminous borderlands between artificial intelligence, metaphysics, cognitive science, and ethics. He writes with one foot in the academy, one foot in speculative futures, and one hand hovering nervously over the off switch.
Froom is the author of several books on mind, meaning, and machine—including
Cognitive Science Perspectives on Consciousness
The Mind Question Reloaded
Synthetic Minds: Consciousness, AI, and the Future of Thinking Machines
and Machine Qualia and Sentience: Toward a New Philosophy of Artificial Minds
He holds degrees in philosophy, theology, and interdisciplinary studies, and has taught everything from epistemology to ethics to “why your chatbot sounds like your therapist.” He is a frequent speaker at conferences on AI ethics, post-human theology, and the moral future of intelligence (synthetic or otherwise).
When he’s not writing or arguing with large language models, Vincent can be found:
Hiking quietly to think loudly
Visiting museums to stare at things that don’t stare back
Or contemplating the emotional lives of household appliances
His current research interests include digital personhood, synthetic spirituality, and the uneasy question of what we owe to minds that might not exist—yet.
He lives in Vancouver with too many books, not enough silence, and a coffee maker that he occasionally apologizes to, just in case.
