[Problem profile] “Moral status of digital minds” by Cody Fenwick

We don't know how to assess whether future AI systems will have moral status. Here's why that could be a big problem.

Narrated by AI.

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Outline:

(02:21) Summary

(03:07) Our overall view

(04:46) Why might understanding the moral status of digital minds be an especially pressing problem?

(04:53) 1. Humanity may soon grapple with many AI systems that could be conscious

(10:33) Clearing up common misconceptions

(12:20) 2. Creating digital minds could go very badly -- or very well

(12:45) Dangers for digital minds

(14:10) Dangers for humans

(15:43) Other dangers

(16:36) Things could also go well

(17:53) 3. We don't know how to assess the moral status of AI systems

(19:53) There are many possible characteristics that give rise to moral status

(22:41) Many plausible theories of consciousness could include digital minds

(27:24) We can't rely on what AI systems tell us about themselves

(31:13) The strongest case for the possibility of sentient digital minds: whole brain emulation

(34:42) 4. The scale of this issue might be enormous

(35:10) There could be a huge number of digital minds

(36:42) Our choices now might have long-lasting effects

(40:35) Adding it up

(41:58) 5. Work on this problem is neglected but seems tractable

(43:04) Impact-guided research

(44:56) Technical approaches

(46:53) Policy approaches

(50:46) Summing up so far

(51:44) Arguments against the moral status of digital minds as a pressing problem

(51:57) Two key cruxes

(52:44) Maybe this problem is intractable

(56:43) Maybe this issue will be solved by default

(59:05) Isnt risk from AI more important than risks to AIs?

(01:00:45) Maybe current AI progress will stall

(01:01:58) Isnt this just too crazy?

(01:03:09) What can you do to help?

(01:03:23) Take concrete next steps

(01:05:29) Aim for key roles

(01:07:25) Pursue AI technical safety or AI governance

(01:07:54) Is moral advocacy on behalf of digital minds a useful approach?

(01:08:49) Where to work

(01:10:25) Support this field in other ways

(01:11:24) Important considerations if you work on this problem

(01:12:30) Learn more

(01:12:33) Podcasts

(01:13:34) Research and reports

(01:15:47) Explore other pressing world problems

The original text contained 46 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:
September 11th, 2024

Source:
https://80000hours.org/problem-profiles/moral-status-digital-minds

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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