What will society think about AI consciousness? Lessons from the animal case.
Lucius Caviola, Jeff Sebo, Jonathan Birch
Trends in Cognitive Sciences June 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2025.06.002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that perceptions of AI consciousness are shaped by psychological, social, and economic factors, and that lessons from perceptions of animal consciousness can inform debates about AI moral status, ethical treatment, and future policy. |
Abstract
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.
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Are Attributions of Consciousness to AI Chatbots Epistemically Innocent? Minds and Machines August 18, 2026
- Attribution of consciousness to non-human animals: insights from AI and multidimensional frameworks. Frontiers in Psychology May 12, 2026
- AI models as consciousness attributors: how LLMs ascribe consciousness to other agents Frontiers in Psychology September 3, 2026
- Can only meat machines be conscious? Trends in Cognitive Sciences April 1, 2026
Cites 3
- Cheap Correlate or Discriminating Property? An Executable Validation Protocol for Consciousness- and Cognition-Theoretic Claims about AI arXiv (Cornell University) August 17, 2023
- Conscious artificial intelligence and biological naturalism. Behavioral and Brain Sciences April 21, 2025
- Tests for consciousness in humans and beyond. Trends in Cognitive Sciences March 1, 2024