November 19, 2024

AI could cause ‘social ruptures’ between people who disagree on its sentience

In this article:

The article discusses the growing debate around the potential consciousness and sentience of artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
It highlights the views of philosopher Jonathan Birch, who warns of significant “social ruptures” between people who believe AI systems are conscious and those who insist the technology feels nothing.
Experts predict that the dawn of consciousness in AI systems is likely by 2035, which could lead to “subcultures that view each other as making huge mistakes” about whether AI systems should have similar welfare rights as humans or animals.
The article also discusses the potential methods for determining the level of consciousness in AI systems, drawing parallels to the way animal sentience is assessed.
The issue is expected to cause tensions within families and between different countries and religions, similar to the differences in views on animal sentience.

Contact Expert Request Form