Experts warn AI creators should study human consciousness in open letter

Academic leaders from around the world penned an open letter calling on artificial intelligence developers to learn more about consciousness as artificial intelligence (AI) systems advance rapidly, giving it a prominent place in our moral landscape, raising ethnical, legal and political concerns. 

The Association for Mathematical Consciousness Science (AMCS), "a large community of over 150 international researchers who are spearheading mathematical and computational approaches to consciousness," published a letter Wednesday as "a wakeup call for the tech sector, the scientific community and society in general to take seriously the need to accelerate research in the field of consciousness science."

Its writers referenced the recent letter written by leaders in tech that called for a pause in AI experiments, noting "we are living through an exciting and uncertain time in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and other brain-related technologies" and warned that AI is "accelerating at a pace that far exceeds our progress in understanding their capabilities and their ‘alignment’ with human values."

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Signatories of the letter argue that language models like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard are based on the neural networks of animal brains, but in the near future will be constructed to mimic "aspects of higher-level brain architecture and functioning."

"Indeed, it is no longer in the realm of science fiction to imagine AI systems having feelings and even human-level consciousness," the letter states. "Contemporary AI systems already display human traits recognised in Psychology, including evidence of Theory of Mind," or the understanding that others have intentions, desires, beliefs, perceptions and emotions different from one’s own that affect people’s actions and behaviors, according to the American Psychological Association. 

As a result, they believe AI will have capabilities beyond what people in charge of their development can currently comprehend, which in turn, "will change what AI can do, and what society can do to control, align and use such systems." 

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"As AI develops, it is vital for the wider public, societal institutions and governing bodies to know whether and how AI systems can become conscious, to understand the implications thereof, and to effectively address the ethical, safety, and societal ramifications associated with artificial general intelligence (AGI)," the letter states. 

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More specifically, the open letter explained that science needs to further develop mathematical tools to measure and model consciousness, specifically as it relates to AI.

"Research in consciousness is a key component in helping humanity to understand AI and its ramifications. It is essential for managing ethical and societal implications of AI and to ensure AI safety," the letter concluded. "We call on the tech sector, the scientific community and society as a whole to take seriously the need to accelerate research in consciousness in order to ensure that AI development delivers positive outcomes for humanity. AI research should not be left to wander alone."

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