Joscha Bach says a system is conscious if it implements a causal structure that gives rise to the phenomenal experience of being an observer, including when it produces statements about its conscious experience.

“That's a very tricky question. And, uh, to me, it comes down to whether the system that is producing statements about its conscious experience to itself and others is, uh, uh, implementing an, a causal structure that gives rise to phenomenal experience of being an observer.”