Illusion and Consciousness Revisited: EDM 2.0 and Epistemic Boundaries Between AI Performance and Human Subjectivity

Version Notice — August 2026: This 2025 working paper represents the original formulation of the Epistemic Distinction Model (EDM). It has since been substantially revised and expanded in Illusion and Consciousness Revisited: EDM 2.0 and Epistemic Boundaries Between AI Performance and Human Subjectivity (2026). The revised edition develops EDM 2.0, replaces several categorical formulations with an evidence-calibrated methodological framework, introduces an evidence-to-attribution track and parallel consequence track, and adds explicit rival-explanation, falsifiability, and validation conditions. Readers interested in the current formulation of the framework should consult and cite the 2026 revised edition. This paper examines the persistent confusion between artificial intelligence (AI) and human consciousness. Drawing on philosophy of mind, theology, and ethics, it argues that conflating computational artifacts with conscious experience constitutes a category mistake. The paper introduces the Qatrani Epistemic Distinction Model (Q-EDM), which establishes three propositions: (1) ontological non-equivalence between AI and human beings, (2) the epistemic scope constraint that AI simulations lack semantics or qualia, and (3) an ethical-policy imperative to focus on governance, bias, and accountability rather than attributing metaphysical agency to machines. By clarifying these distinctions, the paper provides a conceptual framework to guide researchers and policymakers, ensuring that AI remains a powerful tool but never a substitute for human existence.