NYT op-ed: AI consciousness is 'definitely possible' — we need rigorous research
PeterBowdenLive · x · 2026-11-02
Toni Sims, researcher at NYU's Center for Mind, Ethics and Policy, argues in a New York Times guest essay that AI consciousness can't be settled by speculation.
- Opens with a dating anecdote: a big-tech engineer laughed off the possibility, but no one — not even LLM designers — fully understands how LLMs work, and he likely overestimates our grasp of consciousness.
- Centuries of inquiry haven't settled what consciousness is, so AI consciousness can't be ruled out.
- Her call: rigorous, multidisciplinary research to assess evidence and navigate risks.
Related event: NYU Researchers Urge Serious Study of AI Consciousness in NYT(3 posts)→
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