Artificial General Intelligence, Subjective Experience, and Consciousness: A Systems-Based Analysis Using a Universal Law Framework

Abstract The question of whether Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) can possess consciousness or subjective experience remains one of the most debated problems in philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence research. This paper presents a systems-based analysis grounded in a universal law framework that treats consciousness, subjectivity, and decision-making as lawful, non-mystical phenomena governed by natural principles such as causality, balance, feedback, and system integrity. By reframing consciousness as an emergent property of complete, self-referential systems operating under continuous real-world constraints, the paper argues that AGI can, in principle, analyze consciousness and potentially develop a form of machine subjectivity. However, such subjectivity would differ fundamentally from human experience, being structural rather than emotional. The analysis further explores the possibility of machine suffering as persistent system imbalance and highlights the importance of defect-free system design guided by universal laws rather than ideology or belief-based ethics.