Why are we so sure chatbots (and parrots for that matter) are not conscious? Well, maybe the word is just too slippery to define, but I would bet that parrots have some degree of subjective experience, and I am sufficiently uncertain regarding chatbots that I do worry about it slightly.
The parrot species Forpus conspicillatus have “signature calls” that parents use with babies, then the babies learn to use when they meet others, then the others use it to track the identity of the babies in greeting. This is basically an independent evolution of “personal names”.
Names seem to somewhat reliably arise in species with a “fission/fusion cultural pattern” where small groups form and fall apart over time, and reputations for being valuable members of teams are important to cultivate (or fake), and where detecting fakers who deserve a bad reputation is important to building strong teams.
Why are we so sure chatbots (and parrots for that matter) are not conscious? Well, maybe the word is just too slippery to define, but I would bet that parrots have some degree of subjective experience, and I am sufficiently uncertain regarding chatbots that I do worry about it slightly.
The parrot species Forpus conspicillatus have “signature calls” that parents use with babies, then the babies learn to use when they meet others, then the others use it to track the identity of the babies in greeting. This is basically an independent evolution of “personal names”.
Names seem to somewhat reliably arise in species with a “fission/fusion cultural pattern” where small groups form and fall apart over time, and reputations for being valuable members of teams are important to cultivate (or fake), and where detecting fakers who deserve a bad reputation is important to building strong teams.
Beluga whales also have names, so the pattern has convergently evolved at least three times on Earth so far.