I think AI will be very similar to sentient beings.
AI can be programmed to generate emotions in particular way by enabling reward and punishment system similar to sentient beings.
It can also be programmed to behave in such a way as to maximise the reward and minimise the punishment based on given information.
For example,
Sentient beings generates “mind made pleasures/stress” when they have what they desire/like/want and when they don’t have what they don’t want. Ofcourse that is entirely mind made. It is not like that pain/pleasure is coming from inherent property of physical object.
Can AI not be programmed similarly as well, No?
I am sure computer scientists can even take inspiration from Abhidhamma to create fundamental algorithm to simulate the mental processes in artificial agents.
Are current artificial agents not capable of taking information (vedanā), recognise that information (saññā), form a response (saṅkhāra) already?
Ofcourse, Just because two things appear similar, that does not mean they are same.
I only see one problem here, which is that how can artificial agent can take rebirth? They don’t have viññāṇa dhatu or permanent memory records.