September 19, 2026
Ali Ladak, Nick Corvino, David Moss et al.
preprint
Despite AI’s global reach, little is known about how laypeople outside Western contexts think about whether AI systems can be conscious—capable of subjective experience—or whether they could have moral status—warranting moral consideration. In a preregistered main and replication study, we compared such attitudes among laypeople in China and the US (main sample: N = 820; replication sample: N =...
Frontiers in Psychology
January 7, 2026
Jeff Sebo
1 citation
Historically, scientists and philosophers have tended to assume that animals lack consciousness until evidence shows otherwise. Recently, however, some researchers have proposed reversing this assumption. Other options are available as well; for example, in addition to assuming that all animals are conscious, we can assume that all living beings are conscious, that all beings with nervous...
arXiv Preprint Archive
June 13, 2025
Noemi Dreksler, Lucius Caviola, David J. Chalmers et al.
preprint
We surveyed 582 AI researchers who have published in leading AI venues and 838 nationally representative US participants about their views on the potential development of AI systems with subjective experience and how such systems should be treated and governed. When asked to estimate the chances that such systems will exist on specific dates, the median responses were 1% (AI researchers) and 5%...
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
June 1, 2025
Lucius Caviola, Jeff Sebo, Jonathan Birch
How will society respond to the idea that artificial intelligence (AI) could be conscious? Drawing on lessons from perceptions of animal consciousness, we highlight psychological, social, and economic factors that shape perceptions of AI consciousness. These insights can inform emerging debates about AI moral status, ethical treatment, and future policy.
Science
February 21, 2025
Kristin Andrews, Jonathan Birch, Jeff Sebo
29 citations
An emerging field shows how animal feelings can be studied scientifically.