Speaking of DnD playing, AI characters with a consciousness in an always on MMORPG would add a huge level of depth to the game. Heck, within an MMORPG, you could experiment with all types of consciousness - from completely good to completely evil. It would be fascinating to watch them develop. Imagine say, going on one of the highest level WoW quests with a conscious AI that was completely good against another AI - the arch nemesis. Wouldn't it be an amazing quest if the character's personality actually made an impression on you one way or the other?