[Media] : Antonio Casilli for Libération

In a recent article, entitled “Séances de psy, crises ésotériques, jurons… Les étranges expériences d’Anthropic sur la «conscience de l’IA» ” Elise Vianacourt asks Antonio Casilli what he thinks about the potential emergence of conscious AI.

The article discusses whether AI could be conscious or not, and, if so, whether we should care about its well-being. This is already actually the case at Anthropic, which has hired a team to “take care” of its model.

In his interview, Antonio Casilli reminds us that behind AI ethics research are the very same companies that produce AI themselves. This allows them to direct research in the direction they want, avoiding the issue of human work and the working conditions behind AI.

“A major part of the research on artificial intelligence is financed by the big companies in the sector themselves, and that’s a problem. To put it another way, it gives them a way to choose their own research topics and create a fake opposition.“

Casilli also argues that this could be a way for tech companies to avoid any legal repercussions for violations of the law that their models could commit. Nothing more than a “tactical and marketing” move.

“Imagine a scenario where, twenty years from now, we consider AI not as a galaxy of products, but as sentient beings with rights. Picture what it could look like in a court of law. Confronted with illegal behavior by its machines, Anthropic could argue that the company isn’t responsible. Even worse, it could say: “If you punish us, you are putting the well-being of this creation at risk, and you are violating its rights.” “

You can read the article here