Philosophy Discussion Forums

When replying, please also specify whether you have fully read my book, In It Together, or not. Since my book deals heavily with the subject of consciousness and self, I think it will be interesting to see how the answers differ between those who have read my book in full already and those who have not yet read it.


Do you think the best current AIs (e.g. ChatGPT 4) are more or less conscious than ants?

Than trees?

Than grass?

Than spiders?

Than mice?

Than cats?

Than dolphins?

Than Octopuses?

Than 2-year-old human children?

Than a whole ant colony?

Than slime mold?


These aren't rhetorical questions. Please do let me know which of the above you think are more conscious than the best current AIs and which are less conscious and which are equally conscious.




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I don't think I would say that ChatGPT has any consciousness yet. It's working on its given task using the given parameters. Maybe that could actually equal to a tree, grass or mold. I am not really aware of the level of their consciousness. I think once we see them breaking out from their parameters (instincts) then we can talk about consciousness. This makes me think I did hear about some AI that learned something it was not supposed to.
I have read the book.

I don't think so. They are just working based on millions of sets of instructions programmed by developers and they can't function outside those parameters that were assigned during the programming.

I fully read your book.

And I would say all of these that you mentioned are better when their consciousness is compared with ChatGPT. Although it mimics human behaviour and responds likewise, it is still merely a computer program with some advanced features. But it still doesn't have a consciousness, and I don't think it will ever have one. It can very well be a philosophical zombie, but not a conscious being.