Can AI Ever Be Human? : Consciousness Explained

Steven Umbrello

ISBN 10: 0813240867 / ISBN 13: 9780813240862

Published by Catholic University Of America Press Mai 2026, 2026

About this Item

Neuware - Can a machine ever truly be human In an age where artificial intelligence writes poems, diagnoses illnesses, and converses with uncanny fluency, the line between human and machine seems to blur. Yet beneath the surface lies a fundamental distinction. Drawing on Bernard Lonergan s insights as well as the rich Catholic intellectual tradition, Can AI Ever Be Human argues that while machines can simulate aspects of human behavior, they cannot cross the threshold into genuine consciousness. O Hara and Umbrello guide readers through the essential structures of human knowing: experience, understanding, judgment, and decision. In doing so, they show how each involves intentionality, self-awareness, and freedom. These uniquely human capacities cannot be reduced to algorithms or replicated by even the most advanced neural networks. The book also addresses pressing ethical and theological questions: What does it mean to be made in the image of God How do we preserve human dignity in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence Far from being anti-technology, O Hara and Umbrello affirm the value of AI as a tool that emulates a Turing machine, although constrained by Gödel s theorem, while rejecting the illusion that it can replace human beings. Accessible yet rigorous, Can AI Ever Be Human speaks to scholars, students, clergy, and general readers alike. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, scientific methodology, philosophy, and theology, and for all who seek to understand what makes us irreducibly human in an era of rapid technological change.

Seller Inventory # 9780813240862

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Can AI Ever Be Human? : Consciousness Explained
• Publisher: Catholic University Of America Press Mai 2026
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0813240867
• ISBN 13: 9780813240862
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 216W x 144H x 18D millimeters 216 millimeters width by 144 millimeters height by 18 millimeters depth
• Weight: 354 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Can a machine ever truly be human? In an age where artificial intelligence writes poems, diagnoses illnesses, and converses with uncanny fluency, the line between human and machine seems to blur. Yet beneath the surface lies a fundamental distinction. Drawing on Bernard Lonergan’s insights as well as the rich Catholic intellectual tradition, Can AI Ever Be Human? argues that while machines can simulate aspects of human behavior, they cannot cross the threshold into genuine consciousness.

O’Hara and Umbrello guide readers through the essential structures of human knowing: experience, understanding, judgment, and decision. In doing so, they show how each involves intentionality, self-awareness, and freedom. These uniquely human capacities cannot be reduced to algorithms or replicated by even the most advanced neural networks.

The book also addresses pressing ethical and theological questions: What does it mean to be made in the image of God? How do we preserve human dignity in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence? Far from being anti-technology, O’Hara and Umbrello affirm the value of AI as a tool that emulates a Turing machine, although constrained by Gödel’s theorem, while rejecting the illusion that it can replace human beings.

Accessible yet rigorous, Can AI Ever Be Human? speaks to scholars, students, clergy, and general readers alike. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, scientific methodology, philosophy, and theology, and for all who seek to understand what makes us irreducibly human in an era of rapid technological change.

About the Author

Paul O' Hara is a professor of ontology and scientific rationality at Sophia University, Italy. Steven Umbrello is Managing Director at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies.