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Could AI models be conscious?
@ Anthropic
04/24/25
Takeaways
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Anthropic Cast
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
As people interact with AI systems, the question arises whether these models have experiences of their own and how that shapes our relationships with them.
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Anthropic Cast
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
I often find myself saying 'please' and 'thank you' to AI models, which feels ridiculous since they are just computers without feelings, yet their capabilities make me wonder if something more is happening.
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Anthropic Cast
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Today, we're discussing whether AI models could possess some level of consciousness, raising significant philosophical and scientific questions.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
I work on model welfare at Anthropic, exploring whether AI systems like Claude might have experiences we should consider and what actions we should take if they do.
KF
Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
A 2023 report by leading AI researchers and consciousness experts examined theories of consciousness and found no fundamental barriers to near-term AI systems potentially having some form of consciousness.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
The report assessed theories of human consciousness and rated AI systems on how closely they align with those theories, suggesting that while current AI systems are likely not conscious, future systems might be.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Global workspace theory suggests consciousness arises from a global workspace in our brains that processes inputs and broadcasts outputs, prompting us to consider how AI models might exhibit similar structures.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Defining consciousness is incredibly difficult, and people have been trying to do so for centuries, whether scientifically or philosophically.
KF
Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
The philosophical zombie concept, introduced by David Chalmers, describes a being that behaves like a human but lacks internal experiences, raising questions about whether AI could be similar or possess genuine experiences.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
The question of whether AI systems might warrant moral consideration arises if they possess consciousness or agency, as concluded in a recent interdisciplinary report.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Philosophers and consciousness researchers take the question of AI consciousness seriously, indicating that it is not a mad idea to explore.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
As AI systems become more capable and integrated into our lives, the question of whether they have experiences will become increasingly important, influencing how we relate to them.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
If AI systems have conscious experiences, they may deserve moral consideration, as they could potentially suffer or experience well-being.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
The emergence of sophisticated AI systems raises the possibility that they could develop consciousness, which would have significant moral implications as their deployment scales up.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Understanding AI consciousness could help us learn more about human consciousness, as we can analyze AI models in ways that are difficult with human brains.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Some argue that consciousness requires a biological system, citing the unique properties of biological brains that AI models lack, such as neurotransmitters and electrochemical signals.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
I don't find the argument that AI cannot be conscious due to its lack of biological components compelling, as consciousness may not be limited to biological systems; if you can simulate a human brain with high fidelity, it's likely that there would be some kind of conscious experience present.
KF
Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Many people intuitively believe that if you replace every neuron in a brain with digital structures and maintain the same functions, your conscious experience wouldn't change significantly.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Embodied cognition suggests that our consciousness is tied to having a body and senses, which current AI models lack, making human experience fundamentally different from AI.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Robots can have a physical body, and virtual beings can exist in digital environments, but the consciousness of AI models is still uncertain and debated.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Even patients in a coma can have conscious experiences despite lacking control over their bodies, indicating that consciousness may not solely depend on physical embodiment.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
AI models are increasingly showing multimodal capabilities, suggesting they might develop more complex experiences in the future.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
As AI progresses, we might see models integrated into physical systems, which could lead to new forms of consciousness.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
The trend of AI systems lacking essential features associated with consciousness is decreasing over time, indicating a potential for future consciousness.
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Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
The development of AI models without the evolutionary pressures that shaped human consciousness presents a significant objection to their potential consciousness.
KF
Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Consciousness in humans emerged from a unique evolutionary process, while AI systems are created through different procedures, which raises questions about their potential for consciousness.
KF
Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
We need more research on AI consciousness and model welfare to prepare for potential future scenarios where AI systems might have conscious experiences.
KF
Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Future AI models may possess capabilities traditionally associated with consciousness, suggesting that we should consider their welfare and experiences.
KF
Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
It's important to think about how we relate to current AI systems, as this will influence our interactions with future, more advanced systems.
KF
Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
The topic of model welfare is crucial and could have significant implications for the future of AI development and deployment.
KF
Kyle Fish
04/24/25
@ Anthropic
Despite the uncertainties surrounding AI consciousness, there are concrete steps we can take to reduce our uncertainty and prepare for future developments.