Is the 'pain axis' really pain? Researchers clash over AI sentience evidence
RosieCampbell · x · 2026-10-08
Latest round in the AI sentience debate: Scott Alexander spotlighted the model "pain axis" work as a counterexample to Steven Pinker's dismissal of AI sentience concerns. Cam Berg argues that setting aside the hard problem, if models show functional distress states we should simply avoid inducing them unnecessarily. Researcher dcshiller pushes back: even if models can feel pain, there are good reasons to doubt the 'pain axis' is experienced as pain — with a longer thread promised.
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