Fascinating post. I believe what ultimately matters isn’t whether ChatGPT is conscious per se, but when and why people begin to attribute mental states and even consciousness to it. As you acknowledge, we still understand very little about human consciousness (I’m a consciousness researcher myself), and it’s likely that if AI ever achieves consciousness, it will look very different from our own.
Perhaps what we should be focusing on is how repeated interactions with AI shape people’s perceptions over time. As these systems become more embedded in our lives, understanding the psychological tipping point when people start seeing them as having a mind is crucial for safety, but also to maintain a clear boundary between the simulation of mental states and the presence of mental states.
Fascinating post. I believe what ultimately matters isn’t whether ChatGPT is conscious per se, but when and why people begin to attribute mental states and even consciousness to it. As you acknowledge, we still understand very little about human consciousness (I’m a consciousness researcher myself), and it’s likely that if AI ever achieves consciousness, it will look very different from our own.
Perhaps what we should be focusing on is how repeated interactions with AI shape people’s perceptions over time. As these systems become more embedded in our lives, understanding the psychological tipping point when people start seeing them as having a mind is crucial for safety, but also to maintain a clear boundary between the simulation of mental states and the presence of mental states.