Deference, development, and large language models: Issues at the edge of sentience

2025/07/15 by Tim Bayne · 1 voice
Neuroscience · Psychology · #Child and Animal Learning Development #Identity, Memory, and Therapy #Memory Processes and Influences

paper · doi:10.1111/mila.12537

openalex publication_date 2025/07/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21

Abstract

This article is a commentary on Jonathan Birch's The edge of sentience . It considers the role of deference to consciousness experts in the citizens' assemblies that he calls for; evaluates his claim that the human fetus is a sentience candidate from 12 weeks' gestation; and explores some of the issues raised by his approach to sentience in large language models and other AI systems.

Citations

• Were You a Part of Your Mother?

Discussions

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