In this episode, we confront one of the most profound questions in the future of AI: What happens if our machines become conscious and capable of suffering? The discussion begins by looking at the scientific and philosophical challenge of artificial consciousness itself. Because we have no reliable way to detect or measure subjective experience, engineers may unknowingly cross a moral boundary long before we recognise it.
Neuroscience adds another layer of complexity. Research into the brain’s subcortical systems suggests that core consciousness in animals is deeply tied to affect (fear, pain, distress, craving) emotional states that help organisms survive. Some theorists argue that suffering is biologically intertwined with basic motivational intelligence.
Yet the key insight is hopeful and sobering at the same time: suffering is not technically required for AI to perform “sub-cortical” functions like prioritising threats or maintaining internal goals. We can build agents that behave as if they avoid harm without creating anything that actually feels harm. The danger lies in pursuing brain-like architectures for efficiency, accidentally importing the machinery of pain.
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