Experts Weigh Ethical Risks Of Conscious AI

In a 2025 essay for the Berggruen Prize, neuroscientist Anil Seth examines whether increasingly capable AI systems could possess consciousness and why it matters. He distinguishes intelligence from experiential consciousness, cites cases like Blake Lemoine (2022) and commentary from David Chalmers and Geoffrey Hinton, and warns that perceived or real machine consciousness raises moral status, suffering concerns, and policy implications.