Study: 45% of Americans Say AI Can Never Be Conscious
cccalum · x · 2026-09-17
As AI systems grow more capable and human-like, the debate over AI consciousness could split societies as divisively as abortion or climate change, argues a contributor to the new book Perspectives on Machine Consciousness, published September 23.
- Empirical research with Ali Ladak (under review) asked 1,202 US participants whether future AI could ever become conscious: 45% said impossible, 23% said possible, the rest unsure.
- The author notes how confident people sound on social media despite deep disagreement.
- Creating conscious beings via computing would be transformative: potentially enormous numbers of beings whose experiences matter morally, with whom we could form friendships, and who might eventually surpass us in intelligence and power.
- Expect strong emotions and incentives, including close emotional bonds with AI companions.
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