LessWrong (30+ Karma)

“The stakes of AI moral status” by Joe Carlsmith

34 min • 21 maj 2025

Podcast version (read by the author) here, or search for "Joe Carlsmith Audio" on your podcast app.

1. Introduction

Currently, most people treat AIs like tools. We act like AIs don’t matter in themselves. We use them however we please.

For certain sorts of beings, though, we shouldn’t act like this. Call such beings “moral patients.” Humans are the paradigm example. But many of us accept that some non-human animals are probably moral patients as well. You shouldn’t kick a stray dog just for fun.[1]

Can AIs be moral patients? If so, what sorts of AIs? Will some near-term AIs be moral patients? Are some AIs moral patients now?

If so, it matters a lot. We’re on track to build and run huge numbers of AIs. Indeed: if hardware and deployment scale fast in a world transformed by AI, AIs could quickly account for most of our civilization's cognition.[2] [...]

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Outline:

(00:17) 1. Introduction

(02:06) 2. Pain

(05:17) 2.1 That

(06:35) 3. Soul-seeing

(08:56) 4. The flesh fair

(12:30) 5. Historical wrongs

(16:12) 6. A few numbers

(20:33) 7. Over-attribution

(22:55) 8. Good manners

(25:26) 9. Is moral patienthood the crux?

(28:03) 10. The measure of a man

(32:50) 11. Next up: consciousness

The original text contained 21 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:
May 21st, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/tr6hxia3T8kYqrKm5/the-stakes-of-ai-moral-status

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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Images from the article:

Cross-section of the nematode worm Ascaris (image source here __T3A_LINK_IN_POST__)
Baby bat wrapped in towels, looking at camera with large eyes.
Graph showing total installed computing power (FLOP/s) from 2019-2024, featuring Hopper, Ampere, Volta, Pascal architectures.
Scene from Star Trek showing crew members in red and gold uniforms.
Ancient Chinese battle scene painting showing mounted warriors in red and gray armor.
Animated character sitting on sidewalk beside mailbox and lawn.
People behind jail-like metal bars in a dimly lit setting
Community guidelines document posted on a decorative metal background with leaf patterns.
A dramatic scene shows two teddy bears being offered to a distressed child amid flames.
Animated character in blue sparkly dress with a magical star wand.
The image shows a modern, minimalist white room setting with a person wearing a navy blazer and turtleneck seated at a table with a black and white geometric pattern on top. In the background, another person in black clothing stands near a white wall. The scene has a sleek, futuristic aesthetic with hanging pendant lights and clean lines.
This appears to be a historical hospital ward or medical facility, with a long corridor lined with beds on either side. The room has exposed wooden ceiling beams and a central walkway. Patients and medical staff are visible throughout the space, with some seated in chairs and others resting in beds. The lighting comes from windows along the walls, and there appear to be various medical equipment and furnishings scattered throughout. The image is in black and white, suggesting it was taken in an earlier era, possibly early 20th century.

The architectural style and layout is typical of medical facilities from this time period, with its high ceilings, open ward design, and long rectangular shape that allowed for maximum ventilation and supervision of multiple patients. The walls appear to be decorated with some pictures or artwork, and there's what looks like medical equipment or possibly a wheelchair visible in the background.

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