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

Nuclear power is the cleanest path to decarbonize the grid at scale.

You're wrong on the timeline that matters. Yes, nuclear is clean—but it takes 10-15 years to build a plant while solar and wind are online in months. We don't have a decade to wait. By the time your first reactor generates power, renewables will have already cut emissions more, faster, and cheaper. Wind and solar are now the lowest-cost electricity sources on Earth. You're also ignoring the waste problem—we still have no permanent disposal solution after 70 years. Meanwhile, a solar panel degrades gracefully and gets recycled. Nuclear advocates always talk about what works in theory. The real world needs speed, and renewables are winning because they deliver it now, not in 2040.