Points of View - Why an AI can never dream

This essay presents a novel framework for understanding consciousness. Consciousness is defined as the juxtaposition of subjective points of view with the points of view embedded in our dreams. It is argued that memories by themselves do not define us; rather, it is the continually revised points of view we form upon those memories that constitute our identity. The paper further contends that because artificial intelligence cannot genuinely dream — that is, generate and passionately care about its own irrational, self-deceiving, and aspirational dreams — it cannot possess consciousness or true desire, no matter how sophisticated its simulations may become. The final section explores how consciousness, through free will and the collapse of quantum superpositions, interrupts the deterministic law of supervenience, thereby introducing genuine novelty and meaning into the universe.