Babbage: Could artificial intelligence become sentient?

<p>A debate has been raging in technology circles, after an engineer at Google claimed in June that <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/06/14/could-artificial-intelligence-become-sentient?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=babbage&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the company’s chatbot</a> was sentient. Host Kenneth Cukier explores how to define “sentience” and whether it could be attained by AI. If machines can exhibit <a href="https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2022/06/09/artificial-neural-networks-are-making-strides-towards-consciousness-according-to-blaise-aguera-y-arcas?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=babbage&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">consciousness</a>, it presents myriad ethical and legal considerations. Is society equipped to deal with the implications of conscious AI?</p><br><p>Find The Economist’s list of the five best books to read on artificial intelligence <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/2022/08/04/the-five-best-books-to-understand-ai?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=babbage&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;</p><br><p>For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastoffer?utm_campaign=babbage&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economist.com/podcastoffer</a> and sign up for our weekly science newsletter at <a href="http://www.economist.com/simplyscience?utm_campaign=babbage&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel