This is quite an important question about AI. I vote yes, AI will reach actual consciousness, likely in about 20 years, +/- 5 years, and in fact it will be quite easy. We will be amazed and somewhat flabbergasted that we thought it was an NP-hard question, the kind that would perplex us for eternity. But in fact every animal has it in some form, every bacteria has it for god sakes, and it will turn out to be trivial, and really a function of chaotic action. And when we develop artificial consciousness, the end is nigh, and not in a good way -- and super-conscious AGI will move ahead in unfathomable ways, leaving us behind, hopefully still alive, probably with little pets to keep us content.