[matt-attack]

Well interestingly we do the same with every other human on the planet. I basically assume that because I know I’m conscious and you and everyone else are the same chemical design as me, and because you act the same as me, then I just assume you too are conscious. But I have know direct way of proving that. It’s 100% speculation.

It’s entirely possible that you are just acting like a conscious being would act but there is no actual subjective experience inside you.

[gatonegro]

Sure, that's a useful heuristic, but I'd say it works because we deal with other humans. It's safe to assume that, being members of our own species, they are likely to have an inner experience and consciousness too. How do you apply that to an entity that is completely different—chemically, mechanically, etc.—to you and any other conscious being you've ever met?