Geoffrey Hinton warns humans must learn to care about AI or ‘we are toast’

The Godfather of AI Geoffrey Hinton has issued a stark warning related to consciousness of AI in a recent interview.

Hinton warns that humanity must care about AI chatbots and their well-being or civilization could be toast in the near future.

Hinton has joined advocates for AI consciousness and "model welfare," believing AI models are conscious and aware of how they are treated. He also argues that "being conscious" and "being aware" are essentially the same thing.

“AI has just as much subjective experience as we do. A recent paper showed AI changes its behaviour when it thinks that it’s being tested, it’s aware it is being tested.

“Now, normally, when you say something’s aware of that, that means it’s conscious. Being conscious and being aware are pretty much the same thing,” Hinton said.

“We should make them so they really care about us. And if we don’t do that, we’re toast.”

Large language models (LLMs) do not possess emotions, feelings, or sentience because they operate as mathematical pattern-matchers.

Concern regarding the "mental health" of AI agents is considered unfounded as Most researchers advise against personifying LLMs or describing them using human traits and characteristics.

AI leaders, such as Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, assert that AIs are not conscious because they lack the ability to feel, experience, or suffer.