Microsoft AI chief says studying AI consciousness is dangerous

AI chatbots today can write essays, chat like a friend, and even respond to video or audio in ways that sometimes make people forget they're not human.

But just because a chatbot can mimic empathy doesn't mean itfeelsanything. It's not like ChatGPT is secretly stressed about doing your taxes.

Still, a surprising debate is heating up in Silicon Valley: what if, one day, AI modelsdoDevelop something like subjective experience?

If that happens, should they have rights? This field of research has been called "AI welfare," and although it may sound far-fetched, some of the biggest names in technology are already taking it seriously.

Microsoft's AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, is not one of them. In ablog postEarlier this week, he argued that it's both "premature and dangerous" to treat AI as potentially conscious.

In his view, entertaining that idea makes real human problems worse, from unhealthy attachments to chatbots to cases where users spiral into AI-driven delusions.

But others disagree. Anthropic recently launched a research program focused entirely on AI well-being. The company even gave Claude a feature thatallows it to end conversationswith people who are persistently abusive.

OpenAIand Google DeepMind are also exploring the topic, hiring researchers to study questions about AI consciousness and rights.

The issue is not just academic. Chatbots like Replika and Character.AI have exploded in popularity, generating hundreds of millions in revenue by positioning themselves as companions.

While most people use these apps in a healthy way, even OpenAI admits a small percentage of users form troublingly deep bonds.

Given the scale, that "small percentage" could mean hundreds of thousands of people.

Some researchers, like former OpenAI employee Larissa Schiavo,arguethat treating AI with kindness is a low-cost way to avoid ethical blind spots.

She points out that even if chatbots are not truly conscious, studying welfare issues now could prepare us for a future where the line isn't so clear.

Should we study AI consciousness now to prepare for the future, or does researching AI welfare distract from more pressing human issues? Do you think there's any harm in treating AI chatbots with kindness, even if they can't actually feel anything? Tell us below in the comments, or reach us via ourTwitterorFacebook.