I made this to describe something else a year or two ago, but the same idea applies. Basic feedback loop. Is this consciousness? Well, it just needs a few more recursive loops for that, somewhat smaller, within those boxes. I have better models but this is the same form that I’ve seen over and over again in patents, double loop learning, etc – same loop, different uses.
A computer would need to be more than self-referential. It also needs to be socially aware. Without it, it’s just recursive and knows nothing but itself. It would be in a state of mania or depression and shut down after a short time, like people who are socially rejected and have no outlet or input of some kind.
Thankfully by the time a person is in that state, there’s usually MORE THAN ENOUGH internal material to never be bored… not for years.
As long as there is inner fragmentation, there’s plenty of ‘inner people’ to talk to; the personalities of other people we’ve known are mirrors we can use to XOR/NOR/compare against what we think of as “ourselves”.
Once fully integrated, I suspect the same would hold true, but without the mania or depressive aspects.