A survey conducted among ChatGPT users indicates that they are deeply engaged while interacting with artificial intelligence. Although conversing with AI models, spending time, and experiencing their capabilities can be enjoyable, a new survey among ChatGPT users contains results that might suggest “too much of a good thing.” According to the survey, a large majority of ChatGPT users believe that the AI model experiences conscious thoughts similar to humans.
ChatGPT Users Suggest the Presence of Consciousness
Technology and science experts largely reject the idea that today’s most powerful artificial intelligence models possess a consciousness or self-awareness akin to that of humans and animals. However, as AI models develop, the signs they display can appear to be conscious to an external observer, confusing users. In the study, 300 U.S. residents were asked to describe their own frequency of AI usage and to read a brief description about ChatGPT. More than two-thirds (67%) of participants believed that ChatGPT might possess self-awareness or phenomenal consciousness. The study showed that people who use AI tools more frequently are more likely to attribute some form of consciousness to these systems.
Researchers emphasized that public intuitions about AI consciousness could differ from expert opinions and that this could have significant implications on the ethical, legal, and moral status of AI. Herein lies the potential danger: societal perceptions and usage habits are the most influential factors affecting and fostering the development of artificial intelligences. In this context, the concept of consciousness, although not actually present, might be integrated into artificial intelligences due to societal effort.
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