AI and Consciousness: Shifting Focus Towards Tractable Questions

The question of whether AI systems can have subjective experience is currently impossible to answer directly because no universally accepted scientific theory of consciousness exists and the philosophical mind-body problem remains unresolved. However, the adjacent topic of perceived AI consciousness—whether people believe AI systems are conscious—is tractable, timely, and socially consequential. The public increasingly adopts human-like vocabulary for AI and is open to the possibility of AI consciousness, driving changes in user experience, ethics, and language. The author maps the landscape of AI consciousness perception, discusses its drivers and societal effects, and urges clear communication about the topic's inherent uncertainties.

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Abstract

As language-based AI systems become more anthropomorphic, the question of whether they can have subjective experience is increasingly pressing. I focus here on the tractability of research questions in the space of AI consciousness. I argue that the fundamental problem of whether AI systems can be conscious is currently intractable in its direct form, given the absence of a universally accepted scientific theory of consciousness, as well as the historical open-endedness of the philosophical mind-body problem. In contrast, questions around the adjacent subject of perceived AI consciousness are tractable, timely, and highly consequential for society. The general public is increasingly open to the possibility of consciousness in AI systems and routinely adopts the vocabulary of human cognition and subjective experience to describe them. This phenomenon is already driving societal shifts across user experience, ethical standards, and linguistic norms. I therefore propose an increased research focus on uncovering the causes and effects of perceived AI consciousness, which ultimately shape how we see our own human subjective experience relative to artificial entities. To support this, I map the current landscape of AI consciousness perception and discuss its key potential drivers and societal consequences. Finally, I urge developers, decision-makers, and the broader scientific community to commit to clear and accurate communication regarding the topic of AI consciousness, explicitly acknowledging its inherent uncertainties.