Ma`rifat Falsafi

Strong Artificial Intelligence (SAI) holds that a suitably designed computational system can, in the true sense of the word, possess a mind, consciousness, knowledge, and will. At a deeper level, this claim entails that artificial intelligence must possess genuine existence and existential unity. The main issue of this research is to examine the possibility or impossibility of the realization of such an existence as per the foundations of Islamic philosophy, with particular emphasis on the ontological foundations of Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi. In this research, using an analytical-rational method and relying on the distinction between “real composition” (tarkib-e haqiqi) and “conventional composition” (tarkib-e e’tibari), the criteria for the realization of genuine existence and existential unity are explained. It is then shown that artificial compositions -including artificial intelligence- regardless of the level of functional complexity or the manner of hardware, software, or cyber implementation, lack the form of the species (surat-e nau’iyyah) and genuine existential unity, thus cannot be regarded as a unified existent. The research findings indicate that from the perspective of Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi’s ontological foundations, SAI is considered a “conventional compound” (murakkab-e i‘tibari). Consequently, attributing existential qualities such as knowledge, consciousness, and will to it is impossible due to the absence of its subject (salibah bi-intifa‘-e mawdu‘). Accordingly, the claim regarding the possibility of realizing SAI lacks a justifiable philosophical foundation.