Conscious AI

We don’t know what consciousness is.

We have a lot of theories, and it’s generally (though not universally) agreed that humans are conscious, and probably some animals are, as well.

But it’s all very contentious, and even human consciousness is in question according to some theories, as it’s possible we’re all just p-zombies wandering through life like automata, but convincing ourselves, post hoc, that we have some agency in the decisions we make (despite those decisions basically being predetermined by all sorts of variables we can’t fully perceive or compute).

This is also contentious, at times, because there could be real moral, legal, and even economic repercussions if we discover (or decide), for instance, that certain animals are conscious, and that conscious entities should be protected by law.

The UK recently declared that lobsters, octopuses, and crabs (among other peer species) are sentient, which means they can feel and perceive, which is a step below being conscious, which would imply they’re also able to reason and engage in other types of higher-order self-awareness. While that didn’t change any existing laws, it’s considered to be a step toward potential future legislation that might implement stricter rules in how humans interact with these species (not farming and killing them for meat, for instance).

Similarly, if we someday determine, scientifically and legally, that cows are conscious, that could have severe implications for the dairy and beef industries.