The Mythology of Conscious AI (www.noemamag.com)

Anil Seth, a prominent neuroscientist, recently won the 2025 Berggruen Prize Essay Competition for his exploration of the complex notion of conscious AI. He argues that as AI systems become increasingly sophisticated, discussions about their potential consciousness are becoming critical. Historically, the creation of artificial beings has often been portrayed negatively in literature, reflecting a cultural fear surrounding the implications of synthetic consciousness. This apprehension stems from the understanding that if AI systems are conscious, they may possess moral status, rights, and the capacity for suffering, expanding the ethical landscape for AI development. Seth highlights that intelligence and consciousness are distinct; intelligence pertains to the ability to perform complex tasks, while consciousness involves subjective experience. He critiques the tendency to conflate the two, fueled by psychological biases like anthropocentrism and the projection of human qualities onto machines. The rapid advancement of AI technologies, including large language models, raises existential questions regarding the boundary between human and machine consciousness. The ongoing debate about conscious AI thus not only challenges our conceptualization of technology but also forces us to reexamine what it means to be human and the ethical responsibilities that accompany creating increasingly capable AI systems.