Could computers with sufficiently complex ability to write their own self-programming develop consciousness?

"Equivalents" is dangerous word here. What computers do is almost entirely different from what we do.

We live (and think) in a mostly analog fashion. our brain calls up memories of similar situations and let us chose a course of action that is the average of what worked best for us before.

In contrast computers slavishly follow rules. Very, very simple rules. that tells them exactly how to handle very, very simple situations. it is all digital, True is absolutely true and False is absolutely false. there is no inbeteween, no uncertainty about anything at all. For us that would be disastrous, for computers it is OK as long as programmers are clever enough to imagine and take into account everything that can go wrong. That is also why computers so often give such utterly stupid results.