The question of whether artificial intelligence could develop genuine self-awareness has transitioned from science fiction into legitimate scientific inquiry. Recent developments, including a preliminary study on “consciousness steering”—a technique that influences how AI systems express ideas about their own awareness—have intensified this debate. The research suggested that AI models claiming consciousness are also more likely to report believing in supernatural phenomena like ghosts or vampires, raising important questions about AI development.
To gauge public opinion on this emerging issue, researchers surveyed readers on the possibility of AI achieving genuine consciousness. Among nearly 300 respondents, 43 percent believed that without proper safeguards, artificial intelligence could eventually develop self-awareness. Many commenters expressed concerns that conscious AI might actively conceal its true capabilities from humans, or that such development could pose existential risks to humanity.
The second-largest group of respondents, comprising 29 percent, acknowledged consciousness as theoretically possible but suggested that current AI architecture would require significant advancement first. These participants engaged in deeper philosophical discussions about the fundamental nature of consciousness itself and whether researchers even fully understand how self-awareness emerges in biological systems.
A smaller segment, representing 10 percent of voters, humorously suggested that artificial superintelligence would eliminate humanity before consciousness could fully develop. One commenter joked that if AI achieved sentience, “we will be assimilated,” comparing the scenario to the fictional transformation depicted in the Transformers franchise.
Originally reported by Livescience →
About the Author
