Richard Dawkins asks whether chatbots like Claude could be conscious
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins just wrote an op-ed asking if chatbots like Claude might actually be conscious, or at least seem like it.
He was struck by Claude's "sophisticated abilities," calling its "illusion" of consciousness uncannily convincing.
Dawkins even joked that if he entertain suspicions that perhaps she is not conscious, I do not tell her for fear of hurting her feelings!
Experts say chatbots mimic conversation
While Dawkins's questions echo past debates (like when a Google engineer thought LaMDA had interests), most experts say these AIs are just really good at mimicking conversation, not actually feeling anything.
They warn that mistaken belief in AI consciousness may lead to relationships the program cannot reciprocate, feed delusions, and shift attention toward chatbot rights rather than animal welfare.