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Year 11 - Religious education

Robots, humans and consciousness

Personhood: what might be the people of the future?

Unit Summary

This unit focusses on developing technology and how it might impact people in the future. It takes a philosphical way of knowing to ask whether online relationships are the same as those in person. It questions whether devlelopments in AI and robotics may enhance or supplant personal relationships.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to consider what we might mean by consciousness and whether it could exist in robots.

Key Notes

  • Artificial things are human‑made materials and processes, like dyes, fragrances, rubber and artificial pollination.
  • Robots are artificial beings used in homes, workplaces, medicine and social settings.
  • Klara and the Sun raises questions about whether a robot could have consciousness.
  • Consciousness includes awareness, interpretation, reflection, understanding others and making decisions.
  • Debates about robot consciousness focus on whether human‑like behaviour shows real awareness or programmed actions.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • artificial: made by humans rather than produced naturally
  • consciousness: the state of being aware of and able to think about one's existence, thoughts and surroundings
  • robot: an artificial being that can perform tasks automatically, sometimes designed to act or respond like a human or animal

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Consciousness is something you can see or measure directly.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

Artificial things are human‑made materials and processes, like dyes, fragrances, rubber and artificial pollination. Robots are artificial beings used in homes, workplaces, medicine and social settings.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'artificial'

made by humans rather than produced naturally.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Consciousness is something you can see or measure directly. Correction: Consciousness cannot be observed directly because it is a private, subjective experience. We can only infer it from behaviour, communication or responses, but we cannot know for certain what another being experiences.

More Lessons In This Unit

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