this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2026
592 points (97.3% liked)

World News

58956 readers
1465 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world

Ask Historians !askhistorians@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world -3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (6 children)

Geoffrey Hinton, who no one can say with a straight face "doesn't understand AI", also says they are conscious. But none of you screechers, yelling to the clouds from your grumble-goon caverns, wanna hear that.

[–] Daft_ish@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago

Ive never heard of this guy until today but I read the headline and it confirmed my bias so Im all in

[–] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Here's me with a straight face: Anyone who claims LLMs are conscious "does not understand AI".

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago

Thank you for adding clarity to the understanding that holds your viewpoint.

[–] JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't know him, so I can't speculate on his chatbot knowledge, but if we assume he does know how they work, I can definitively say he doesn't understand consciousness.

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world -4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

His body of work speaks for itself. I can assume since you are attempting to stand against his knowledge with your own, that your understanding is equally as proven.

Can you link me to some of your work?

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

First, do you genuinely believe LLMs are conscious?

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world -3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No more than I believe Broca's area and Wernicke's area are conscious, but neither exist in a vacuum devoid of the rest of the organism and surrounding universe.

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I'm sorry I didn't realize that was confusing. A specialized chunk of the human mind used for language, removed from the rest of a human and the universe, does not reach a conscious threshold worthy of major consideration. Just like a severed finger. A bare LLM, removed from the rest of the the digital apparatus and the universe, does not reach a conscious threshold worthy of major consideration

Now, I'll ask you one. Do you think there are conscious non-human animals? Or do you believe that is a trait only humans possess?

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Consciousness is having a subjective experience. Yes lots of animals are conscious.

Wow, see how I answered concisely without typing a paragraph of fluff?

removed from the rest of the digital apparatus and the universe

Speak plainly, Ascian. Does that mean there are circumstances (in today's world) in which you would consider an LLM to have a subjective experience?

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago

I've answered you twice. Once plainly. Once concisely. Can you not understand either answer? Your attitude makes you seem disingenuous. I understand that this is perhaps, frustration. Either way, I hope you have a good day.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

That's not a case of not understanding AI, that's just a case of having a misanthropic world view. His conception of consciousness is that there's nothing particularly special about it and that humans are just jumped-up apes that pretend to be important. He also probably hasn't actually spent much time philosophizing about consciousness.

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Humans are just jumped-up apes that pretend to be important. Or are you trying to say we are magic?

There is no "magic god juice" in humans that makes us conscious. Consciousness is a state already shared with non human animals.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

And there you go, that's why AI boosters feel like they can say their toys are conscious. They don't think consciousness is interesting or different from how any other animal experiences the world, just jumped up apes that pretend to be special. Naturally, this leads them to conclude chatbots are conscious.

It's gibberish, of course. In reality, they don't know what it is and don't care to define it because it is unimportant to them. These can be very smart people who know a lot about AI, but they don't know a lot about consciousness and their opinions shouldn't be taken that seriously. Qualia? What's that?

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I never said it was unimportant. You have jumped to a lot of unfounded conclusions.

Do you believe that all animals are just unconscious reaction machines, except humans?

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I don't believe a human and a non-human ape have equivalent ethical value. There's something different between them.

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That's not what I asked. Every response you have given has been slippery and imprecise at best, and misleading at worst. I think you just don't want to say "magic god juice" because it rightfully sounds silly, but you really think "magic god juice" is what humans have.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

It's a question of phenomenology and subjectivity. This degradation of consciousness as "magic god juice" is just misanthropy. Yet, you yourself probably believe the life of a human is not equal to that of a non-human animal. Why? What's the difference? Can you even answer that? Have you even thought about it?

There's nothing slippery about what I've said either. AI boosters think their toys are conscious because they see consciousness as unimportant and trivial. To the extent they've thought about it, they've decided their toys have equivalent value to human life and are willing to kill everyone to build the god machine.

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

All these words, still no answer. Still arguing against your own strawman.

[–] Crankenstein@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Can understand AI all he wants. Doesn't mean he understands consciousness

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago

So are you of the belief that "we don't know" or "definitely not"?

[–] moustachio@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It’s wild he says that they’re conscious when science & philosophy as a whole still don’t really understand consciousness.

So it sounds like he’s an arrogant moron with a very specific expertise he likes to apply outside of where it should be applied.

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world -2 points 1 day ago

He has a long history of anything but. You obviously have a very reactionary set of fixed beliefs though.