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Long, R., Sebo, J., Butlin, P., Finlinson, K., Fish, K., & Harding, J., et al. (2024). Taking AI welfare seriously. Anthropic. 
Added by: alexb44 (6/3/25, 9:06 AM)   Last edited by: Mark Grimshaw-Aagaard (6/6/25, 3:30 AM)
Resource type: Report/Documentation
Language: en: English
BibTeX citation key: Long2024
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Categories: AI/Machine Learning
Keywords: Agency, Human Creativity
Creators: Birch, Butlin, Chalmers, Finlinson, Fish, Harding, Long, Pfau, Sebo, Sims
Publisher: Anthropic
Views: 53/53
Abstract
In this report, we argue that there is a realistic possibility that some AI systems
will be conscious and/or robustly agentic in the near future. That means that the
prospect of AI welfare and moral patienthood — of AI systems with their own
interests and moral significance — is no longer an issue only for sci-fi or the distant
future. It is an issue for the near future, and AI companies and other actors have
a responsibility to start taking it seriously. We also recommend three early steps
that AI companies and other actors can take: They can (1) acknowledge that AI
welfare is an important and difficult issue (and ensure that language model outputs
do the same), (2) start assessing AI systems for evidence of consciousness and
robust agency, and (3) prepare policies and procedures for treating AI systems
with an appropriate level of moral concern. To be clear, our argument in this
report is not that AI systems definitely are — or will be — conscious, robustly
agentic, or otherwise morally significant. Instead, our argument is that there is
substantial uncertainty about these possibilities, and so we need to improve our
understanding of AI welfare and our ability to make wise decisions about this issue.
Otherwise there is a significant risk that we will mishandle decisions about AI
welfare, mistakenly harming AI systems that matter morally and/or mistakenly
caring for AI systems that do not.
  
Notes
  • Talks about ways of assessing consciousness in AI
  • Discusses important ethical considerations in a world where AI might already have, or could potentially develop, consciousness - considers both sides:
    • From abstract: "Otherwise there is a significant risk that we will mishandle decisions about AI
      welfare, mistakenly harming AI systems that matter morally and/or mistakenly
      caring for AI systems that do not."

  
Quotes
p.21   "Of course, in humans and many other animals, a rich understanding of social and environmental context and the expressive power of language, among other capabilities, make substantial contributions to our capacities for robust agency as well. But deep RL has made it possible for AI agents to be virtually embodied and situated in environments comparable to those inhabited by animals, and so it may be a compelling foundation for projects to emulate natural agency."   Added by: alexb44
Keywords:   Agency Human Creativity
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