Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman says today's AI lacks consciousness
Technology
Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft's head of AI, says we shouldn't treat AI like it has feelings or rights.
In a recent essay and on X, he made it clear: today's AI isn't conscious, so there's no reason to give it any special treatment.
Suleyman urges pause on conscious AI
Suleyman deliberately uses the present tense: AI isn't conscious now and should stay that way.
If we ever spot signs of real consciousness in an AI, he believes that's a signal to hit pause and be fully transparent about what's happening.
His comments come as debates heat up about whether advanced AIs deserve moral consideration, especially after Anthropic started exploring these questions with its Claude model earlier this year.
For now, Suleyman says keeping human well-being front and center is what matters most.