Techdenkers: Anil Seth

We speak with Anil Seth (University of Sussex) about the possibilities of AI consciousness. Will ChatGPT ever become a thinking being? And what would be the ethical implications of that?

Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. Today, we can interact with large language models like ChatGPT almost as if they were human. Vision models are capable of creating award-winning photographs and realistic videos of events that never occurred. These systems are undoubtedly becoming more sophisticated, but the question remains: are they conscious? Do they possess subjective experiences, feelings, and conscious beliefs similar to those of humans, which inanimate objects like tables, chairs, and calculators do not? And if they aren’t conscious now, when—if ever—might this change?

While some researchers suggest that conscious AI is imminent, others (including Anil Seth) believe it remains a distant possibility and may never be achieved. However, dismissing the possibility entirely would be unwise. The prospect of artificial consciousness introduces ethical, safety, and societal challenges that far exceed those currently posed by AI. Notably, some of these challenges emerge even when AI systems only appear to be conscious, despite being driven by algorithms operating without any subjective awareness.

About Anil Seth
Anil Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, where he also serves as Director of the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science. Additionally, he is Co-Director of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Program on Brain, Mind, and Consciousness, and of the Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship Programme: From Sensation and Perception to Awareness. He was recently an Engagement Fellow with the Wellcome Trust. His mission is to advance the science of consciousness and to use its insights for the benefit of society, technology, and medicine.

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