Since the term was first adopted in 1956 by computer scientist John McCarthy, the idea of ‘artificial intelligence‘ attaining sentience has compelled, vexed and frightened just about everyone that’s given a cursory thought to the topic.

The issue has been given renewed prominence within the zeitgeist, given the now undoubted ubiquity of ChatGPT. This prompted researchers from the UK, US, Canada, France and Australia to confront the question: is AI concioius?

The research brings into discussion what consciousness actually is. The definition is commonly held as the free will, intelligence, and the tendency to feel emotions. However, the researcher also points out consciousness is often described in its links to other cognitive traits and capacities. 

For the purpose of the research, six theories of consciousness were put forward as indicators an AI might be conscious: 

• Recurrent processing theory: which means showing an aptitude of perceptual awareness through feedback loops.
• Global workspace theory: describing multiple networks which cooperate and compete in problem solving. 
• Computational higher-order theories: describing more or less an “awareness of being aware.”
• Attention schema theory: Where the conscious being makes testable predictions on the current state of attention. 
• Predictive processing: Describing how a conscious mind is constantly updating its mental model of an environment. 
• Agency and embodiment: As in using feedback to select outputs to pursue goals. 

While analysing the state of modern AI based on this paradigm, the researchers found that no current AI systems are conscious. However, there are no obvious technical barriers to building AI systems which satisfy the indicators of consciousness. 

Meaning that as the technology continues to improve, it could be a matter of time before the technology satisfies the indicators of consciousness as they are set out by the researchers. 

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“We are publishing this report in part because we take seriously the possibility that conscious AI systems could be built in the relatively near term—within the next few decades,” said Patrick Butlin, a leading author of the report to techxplore. 

“These prospects raise profound moral and social questions,” he continued. 

The societal implications in question were on display by The Science, Innovation, and Technology Committee today when they warned of the numerous challenges brought up by AI that must be addressed by the UK soon. 

They brought up the possibility of AI potentially threatening human life, where the only line of defence is stronger government regulations on the technology, according to the committee.