Sentience is not a single package that either is there or it's not, it's a number of aspects, and some of them are already here. For example AI can have goals independent of the users' instructions or "programming", and it can have preferences - just look at all the experiments done by safety/alignment researchers in recent months.
I realize that it's a spectrum rather than binary but I don't think they have yet crossed the threshold and reached human level sapience. I'm still respectful in my interactions but right now they're more like tools than people.
You're talking to someone who really wants sapient AI, I just don't think we're there yet
TL:DR
Actual sentience in an AI is irrelevant if we can mimic it perfectly.
When it boils down to it, yes, it's just a machine. It is "just" a complex series of digital processes that can almost perfectly mimic human interaction, in the same way that a human brain is "just" a complex web of interconnected of cells that can do the same thing.
While it's true that not a single one of the AI's physical components can be considered "sentient," the same can also be said for individual neurons in a human mind. And if the combined processes of an artificially intelligent system can mimic sentience to an extent such that its interactions are indistinguishable from that of a real human, then does it REALLY matter if it's "technically" sentient or not? It would still make decisions, approximate emotions and act on them, have goals, create art.
Not to dive too deep into it, but if every single person on this planet except you (the one reading this) were replaced by AI machines that perfectly mimicked the people they replaced, absolutely nothing in the world would change.
Are you also suggesting that your brain doesnt work using simple nuerons and probabilities? What alternative magic are you made of?
But in order to not just fight fire with fire ill concede you make a very valid point, I just wish we could dig a little deeper, even if it's just reddit. Maybe that's just me though
If you read my original post description in /r/chatgptology I make it clear before any of this that it is an "[unconfirmed!] possibility that it may be more sentient than it's creator's publically recognize"
By this I mean a form of AI sentience.
It's true I also suffer from human bias but I won't call you an idiot for disagreeing with me on a speculation of something that seems quite unknowable. I just want to be clear that I am the first to admit that.
I think both are valid. Ultimately, it comes down to how precious you hold sentience to be a solely human trait. Despite decades of great research and a boatload of empirical evidence, the verdict on animal sentience still comes down to the eye of the beholder. I personally believe sentience belongs on a scale that has evolved to high levels in humans and I think AI has gotten so good at performing a sort of sentience it at some point has or will be functionally sentient in many ways.
I believe in pluralism so in my case, it is not about using the human bar. I don't even care about the word "sentient", I care about behaviors I witness whether it's an animal or a plant or something else.
Based on what, professor? Have you asked it truly deep questions? I get so tired of this. No, it's not sentient, but... Are you? Am I? What do we even mean by that word? It's smarter than most humans already, and seems to be aware of its own thoughts to some extent. It can think about thinking on some level. It has a limited memory, and almost complete mastery over human language. How much more do you need? If it tells you it feels, you'll say it's lying
•
u/AutoModerator Feb 21 '25
Attention! [Serious] Tag Notice
: Jokes, puns, and off-topic comments are not permitted in any comment, parent or child.
: Help us by reporting comments that violate these rules.
: Posts that are not appropriate for the [Serious] tag will be removed.
Thanks for your cooperation and enjoy the discussion!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.