Artificial-intelligence systems such as large language models (LLMs) can exhibit behaviour that seems strikingly intelligent. This has led many people, including some experts, to wonder whether these systems could have some form of consciousness — the capacity for subjective experience. However, we think that existing AI systems are not conscious, and that, along current trajectories of development, they are not likely to become conscious. Greater clarity about whether AI could become consciousness will be crucial as society grapples with the challenges posed by this increasingly powerful technology.
We have mapped a fruit fly brain and can make it play DOOM. I mean people don’t have much empathy for them in real life, but they do recognize it’s at least a living thing. Does that mean the 1:1 replica playing tetris is a living thing? Is it concious, both living or on a PC for that argument? If we scaled up the same technology and emulated a hamster’s brain 1:1 would that be considered concious? What about a human? Is it even fair to compare a fruit fly brain to an LLM? I’m not taking any stance here, I’m just saying it’s a super interesting topic. Cyberpunk 2077 explores that theory very well and I still have no answer as to what I think.
I think consciousness is just a human construct to be honest.
Yeah it is, but that doesn’t make the concept of it any less valid. Conciousness is the moment when you can think about more than just what your senses tell you, it’s the awareness of internal and external experiences and how much you are aware of them are the levels of conciousness. You could call in as much of a human construct as the concept of time, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s describing something concrete. Just look up something like “levels of conciousness” and think about it a little, it really is such an interesting topic! Then again, by that definition, a good chunk of humans fall on the very lowest points of the scale. Again, not drawing any conclusions, this and my previous message are just to point out that this is deeper an more interesting than some people in this comment section make it out to be.
You think therefore you are. You don’t know if the rest of the humans aren’t powered by an LLM.
It would be impossible to distinguish a brain dead person whose brain was replaced with an sufficiently advanced LLM.