Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

David Chalmers: Are Large Language Models Conscious?

Nov 9, 2023
Guest
Susan Schneider
Guest
David Chalmers
David Chalmers, a prominent philosopher focused on consciousness and AI, and Susan Schneider, an AI researcher and philosopher, dive deep into the consciousness of large language models. They discuss the philosophical and ethical implications of AI sentience, exploring arguments for and against AI consciousness and the limitations of traditional tests like the Turing test. The conversation also covers moral standings regarding AI and other sentient beings, examining how subjective experiences shape our understanding of consciousness in both machines and humans.
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INSIGHT

Consciousness vs. Intelligence

  • Consciousness, or subjective experience, is distinct from intelligence.
  • It matters ethically, especially regarding AI treatment and potential suffering.
INSIGHT

Self-Report as Evidence

  • Verbal reports from current LLMs about sentience are weak evidence for consciousness.
  • This is because they are trained on human text, where such claims are frequent.
INSIGHT

Conversation and General Intelligence

  • Conversational ability itself doesn't equal consciousness.
  • It signals general intelligence, which correlates with consciousness, making it relevant.
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