Join host Susan in a captivating conversation with Dr. Janet Pauketat, a social psychologist and researcher at the Sentience Institute, as they explore the evolving landscape of AI and moral consideration. 

Dr. Pauketat delves into how our perception of "humanness" and "mind" influences our willingness to extend moral concern to artificial intelligence, highlighting the significant role of perceived warmth, emotion, and morality in AI. She explains why the rapid advancement of AI, particularly with public-facing tools like ChatGPT, makes these ethical discussions critically relevant now, urging us to consider a future where digital minds may warrant moral standing. 

The discussion further examines the factors that influence our capacity for "moral circle expansion"—the broadening of our moral boundaries to include AI. Dr. Pauketat discusses social factors like human-AI relationships and narratives of threat, as well as human factors such as prejudices against non-carbon entities and the influence of science fiction. She also touches on AI's own features, like pro-social design, and how its actions can impact our moral perceptions. 

Dr. Pauketat stresses the urgency of grappling with these complex ethical questions now, even before truly sentient AI becomes a widespread reality. She emphasizes valuing all sentient beings, avoiding future atrocities, allowing ample time for research into this novel ontological category, and ensuring AI safety by fostering inclusive social norms. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the profound ethical implications of AI and humanity's shared future. 

https://www.sentienceinstitute.org/

https://www.humain.org/

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