Could AI ever become conscious?

Yes, possibly in principle — but we do not know yet, and current AI is not conscious based on the evidence we have.

The key issue is what theory of consciousness turns out to be right:

• Functionalist views say the right kind of information processing could produce consciousness, even in non-biological hardware.
• Biological views say consciousness may require living brain processes that computers do not have.
• Another problem is verification: even if an AI seemed conscious, we may not have a reliable test for subjective experience.

So the cautious conclusion is: AI could become conscious someday, but science has not settled the question.