AI sentience meetups: Public perceptions

We stand at a fascinating juncture in the evolution of artificial intelligence. But what does the public actually think? This week, we’ll delve into the public’s perception of AI sentience, exploring the factors that shape these views and the potential implications for the future of human-AI relations, as well as examining the pressing ethical considerations that emerge from these perceptions.

Questions:
❓Which properties of AIs tend to elicit consciousness attributions from humans (media portrayals, personal experiences with AI, or something else entirely) ?

❓Should we use non-human terminology to avoid backlash when discussing AI welfare?

❓Could AI help us to treat other humans better, and, in doing so, become better people ?

❓What effects might culture have on the type and extent of spillover effects?

Readings:
👉 Artificial Intelligence, Morality, and Sentience (AIMS) Survey 2023: https://www.sentienceinstitute.org/aims-survey-2023 (15 pages, 20 min)
👉 What Do People Think about Sentient AI?: https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.08867 (13 pages, 30 min)

Optional:
🫴 AI Consciousness and Public Perceptions: Four Futures: https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.04771
(Recommended read: Chapter 5.2, 4 pages)
🫴 The Moral Consideration of Artificial Entities: A Literature Review: https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.04215
(pick some paper from “Empirical Research on Attitudes Towards the Moral Consideration of Artificial Entities” section)