Could AI models be conscious?

As we build AI systems, and as they begin to approximate or surpass many human qualities, another question arises. Should we also be concerned about the potential consciousness, agency, and experiences of the models themselves? Should we be concerned about model welfare, too?

This is an open question, and one that’s both philosophically and scientifically difficult. In this conversation, Kyle Fish (Alignment Science, Anthropic) explores some of the philosophical and ethical questions surrounding AI consciousness.

00:00 Introduction
08:00 Defining consciousness 
12:25 Studying AI consciousness
20:50 Key objections
32:15 The uniqueness of AI
36:00 Practical implications
40:06 How likely is AI to be conscious?