Techthinkers: Anil Seth in De Balie

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. Today, large language models like ChatGPT allow us to interact with humans as if they were almost human. Vision models are able to create award-winning photographs and realistic videos of events that never happened. 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 are not 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, it would be unwise to dismiss the possibility altogether. The prospect of artificial consciousness introduces ethical, safety, and societal challenges that far exceed those of AI today. Strikingly, some of these challenges arise even when AI systems only appear to be conscious, despite being driven by algorithms that operate without any subjective awareness.

About Anil Seth

Anil Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, where he is also Director of the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science. He is also 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 at the Wellcome Trust. His mission is to advance the science of consciousness and use its insights for the benefit of society, technology, and medicine.