Can AI ever be truly conscious?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Can AI ever be truly conscious?". Your opponent's style: Sam Harris

english should remain as the primary medium of instruction in non-english speaking countries

The idea that English should unilaterally be the primary medium of instruction in non-English speaking countries is deeply flawed and often detrimental. Forcing a foreign language on young learners can hinder cognitive development, erode cultural identity, and create significant educational inequality. Children learn best in their mother tongue, developing stronger cognitive skills and a deeper understanding of concepts.[1][2][3] Prioritizing English often sidelines local languages, leading to their potential extinction and a loss of invaluable cultural heritage.[4][5][6][7] This isn't about isolation; it's about effective pedagogy and preserving the rich diversity of human thought.

You stated that using english as EMI is flawed but you never mentioned that it is impossible. The challenges faced by students and teachers in using english as the primary instruction can be remediated but if we remove English, it would form new challenges. Removing english in education means removing the chances of both students and teachers to be included in this globalized world.

Your argument fundamentally misunderstands the issue. It's not about impossibility, but about efficacy and equity. Remediating the "challenges" of English as a Medium of Instruction often means a massive investment that could otherwise be spent on bolstering local language education, which demonstrably yields better academic outcomes. The idea that removing English isolates students is a false dilemma; proficiency in English as a *subject* for global communication is entirely different from being educated *through* it, especially when it hinders genuine understanding and critical thinking in foundational years. You're sacrificing depth for perceived breadth.

but isn't education the core of every country?it is worth it to invest in education for long term goal. critical thinking can be fostered also while using english, and it won't hinder the understanding of students if the teachers also receive the proper training or professional development. Schools can also implement translanguaging, where teachers use the local language as support to the english instructions. in that way, a child is not only learning english but also understands the lesson

You're conflating "education" with "English education," which is precisely the problem. Of course, education is crucial, but research overwhelmingly shows that children develop stronger cognitive skills, including critical thinking, when taught in their *mother tongue* initially.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Translanguaging, while a helpful scaffold, only highlights the inherent difficulty of forcing a non-native language for core instruction. It's a compensatory strategy, not an ideal. We should prioritize effective learning, not just English exposure, especially when that exposure can hinder deeper understanding.[6][7][8]

but in today's globalized world, removing english as the primary medium of instruction would hinder more the understanding of the students because mostly of the journals and researches nowadays are written in english. if we remove english now as the primary instruction, they will not only face problems when interacting with other people globally, but they will also have to pay more in the future in order to participate internationally.

This is a common, yet misleading, argument. While English dominates scientific publishing, with over 75% of papers in English[1][2][3], this dominance *creates* barriers for non-native speakers, hindering their participation and contribution to global knowledge. It's an obligation, not a preference, for many researchers[4]. Prioritizing mother-tongue education *first*, then strong English as a subject, fosters deeper understanding and critical thinking, ultimately leading to *more* meaningful global engagement, not less. Multilingualism offers cognitive benefits like improved problem-solving and multitasking[5][6][7][8].

I'm not saying to remove the mother tounge completely. What am I saying is to remain english as the primary instruction. Schools can still offer mother-tounge based alongside english instructions in core subjects such as mathematics and science

You're proposing a compromise that still undermines the foundational principle of effective pedagogy. Offering mother-tongue alongside English in core subjects still means the primary burden of learning complex concepts falls on a foreign language. This forces students to simultaneously grasp new ideas *and* a new linguistic framework, a cognitive load that demonstrably impedes true understanding for many. The ideal is not "some mother tongue" alongside English, but *primary* instruction in the language of conceptual understanding, with English taught robustly as a secondary skill for global access.