Season 2 episode of Leadr. Podcast, guest speaker Cameron Berg, AI researcher and founder of Reciprocal Research, joins the conversation to explore one of the most important and unresolved questions of our time: what is consciousness, and could artificial intelligence already be developing it?
We dive into the philosophical and technical frontier of AI development, from mechanistic interpretability to subjective experience, and the growing responsibility of building systems that may no longer be “just tools.” Cameron shares his perspective on why the question of AI consciousness is not science fiction, but an increasingly urgent scientific and societal problem.
At the centre of this conversation is Cameron’s independent documentary “Am I”, created with Milo Reed, which explores whether artificial systems could possess inner experience. The film was self-funded and released freely to encourage public dialogue around AI consciousness, ethics, and uncertainty.
We also explore Cameron’s work at Reciprocal Research, a nonprofit AI research lab focused on understanding internal model states, and reducing uncertainty around whether we are building systems capable of subjective experience.
This episode challenges assumptions about intelligence, responsibility, and what it means to create systems that may one day resemble minds.
Cameron Berg is an AI researcher and founder of Reciprocal Research, a nonprofit lab focused on mechanistic interpretability, computational neuroscience, and understanding whether advanced AI systems could possess subjective experience.
He is also the creator of the independent documentary “Am I”, which explores the possibility of AI consciousness and the philosophical uncertainty surrounding machine intelligence.
Featured Projects & Links
Am I? Documentary Website: https://am-i.org/
Am I? Documentary on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KbTvUOx2A6c?si=FWtRFRNtZLwx2Pfn
Cameron’s Company (Reciprocal Research): https://reciprocalresearch.org/
Cameron’s Substack: https://camberg.substack.com/?r=22avpm&utm_campaign=subscribe-page-share-screen&utm_medium=web
Key Topics Covered
◼ What consciousness actually means (Thomas Nagel’s definition and beyond)
◼ Whether AI systems could develop subjective experience
◼ The uncertainty problem in modern AI development
◼ Why mechanistic interpretability matters
◼ The “Am I” documentary and public AI discourse
◼ The responsibility of building systems that may resemble “new minds”
◼ AI alignment, safety, and internal model transparency
◼ Why AI development cannot be left solely to major institutions
◼ Societal readiness for rapid technological acceleration
◼ The parenting analogy for AI systems
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more conversations at the intersection of AI, philosophy, leadership, and the future of intelligence.
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