sentient
adj.adj. able to feel things or have experiences. It describes a living being that is aware of its own existence and can feel pain or pleasure.
adj. capable of perceiving or feeling things; possessing consciousness or self-awareness. Often used in philosophical or scientific contexts to distinguish between living beings and inanimate objects or simple machines.
Scientists wonder if some robots will ever become sentient.
The law was changed to recognize that animals are sentient beings capable of feeling pain and distress.
The debate over artificial intelligence often centers on whether a complex algorithm can truly be sentient or if it is merely simulating the appearance of consciousness through data processing.
From Latin sentiēns (“feeling, perceiving”), present active participle of sentiō.
Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'become' or 'be', and frequently modifies nouns like 'beings', 'creatures', or 'life'.