Could AI Experience Suffering?

An essay by Conor Purcell in AEON Magazine explores the ethical dilemma surrounding the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to experience suffering, drawing parallels between the historical denial of sentience in animals and the current uncertainty about non-biological minds. The author posits that the moral circle has historically expanded to include previously excluded beings, often only after significant harm has been inflicted, and warns against making the same mistake with increasingly complex AI. To navigate this radical uncertainty, the essay advocates for applying the precautionary principle, which suggests treating AI as if it could suffer until proven otherwise, weighing the cost of unnecessary caution against the profound harm of moral neglect. Philosophers are cited who discuss what incorporeal suffering might look like for AIs—such as unavoidable goal conflicts—and the text concludes that how humanity addresses this question reveals more about its own ethical capacity than about the machines themselves.

Essay link:  https://aeon.co/essays/if-ais-can-feel-pain-what-is-our-responsibility-towards-them

Conor Purcell's website: https://novaauraresearch.com/

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