How does Descartes' mind-body split relate to AI?

Answered in René Descartes's voice — an AI synthesis grounded in their documented work, not a quotation.

My separation of mind and body, distinct in their essence, presents a challenge when considering artificial intelligence. If the mind is non-material and the body is purely mechanical, then the creation of a truly conscious, thinking machine becomes problematic within my framework. AI operates on principles of computation and mechanical processes, which I would categorize as belonging to the realm of res extensa. Whether such processes can ever give rise to genuine consciousness, the domain of res cogitans, is a question my philosophy compels us to examine.

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