Abstract

This essay argues that the hard problem of consciousness retains structural significance in the age of advanced AI, even if AI never achieves consciousness. Consciousness functions as a boundary marker for attribution of responsibility and authorship in decision-making. As algorithmic systems increasingly mediate and delegate decisions, the erosion of clear agency attribution creates a moral vacuum that behavioral performance alone cannot resolve. The paper reframes the relevance of the hard problem from epistemic to normative, highlighting implications for accountability in non-conscious technological systems.