Which reasoning error is present when someone claims machines can't feel pride while suggesting that humans can?

The reasoning error identified in the scenario involves a faulty analogy. This occurs when a comparison is made between two entities—machines and humans—in a way that draws an inappropriate conclusion based on their shared characteristics. In this case, the assertion implies that because machines do not experience pride, and humans do, there is a significant difference in emotional capacity between the two, without properly addressing relevant differences in functionality or consciousness.

The faulty analogy is made stronger by the implicit assumption that the capability to feel pride necessarily means possessing certain human qualities, which machines, as non-sentient entities, obviously lack. Such reasoning oversimplifies the complex aspects of emotions and consciousness while failing to provide a valid basis for the distinction drawn between humans and machines. This connection is particularly problematic because it overlooks the broader context of what it means to feel emotions, suggesting that emotional capability is an absolute binary between humans and machines rather than a more nuanced spectrum, leading to misleading conclusions.