So—if an entity displays the correct facial expressions, sounds and gestures, who’s to say it’s not “experiencing” the emotions?
It is not experiencing emotions because it is a robot.
Sometimes very profound thoughts, are not very profound at all. When we see a rotting carcass we don't experience hunger, but a hyena would. It's just programming.
So the only way a robot would feel something is if it is programmed to "feel something".
> So the only way a robot would feel something is if it is programmed to "feel something".
The topic is a bit more subtle.
Defining and understanding subjective experience is a topic that currently totally evades scientific understanding. Try to explain in a non ad hoc way what it is to see the color red (it's the canonical example).
Can a robot ever experience human-like emotions? and, assuming robots experience somthing, or come to experience something one day, could a human experience robot-like feelings?
Robert French and David Chalmers (who both studied under Douglas Hofdstater btw) have lot's of interesting insights about these topics.
It is not experiencing emotions because it is a robot.
Sometimes very profound thoughts, are not very profound at all. When we see a rotting carcass we don't experience hunger, but a hyena would. It's just programming.
So the only way a robot would feel something is if it is programmed to "feel something".