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?