Microsoft AI Chief Mustafa Suleyman Calls the Idea of Conscious AI ‘Absurd’: Report

Microsoft's artificial intelligence (AI) head reportedly does not believe that the technology can be conscious. As per the report, the executive is a firm believer that AI is nothing like humans because it cannot experience things or feel emotions. He is also said to believe that any research in this direction is pointless, as an AI system is merely a simulation. The comments come at a time when many companies are pushing the idea of an AI companion, and unhealthy attachment with chatbots is gaining traction.

AI Cannot Experience Pain, Says Microsoft's AI Chief

According to a CNBC report, Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI, said in an interview at the AfroTech Conference in Houston that AI technology or chatbots are not conscious beings. His comments echo a post he wrote in August, where he shared concerns that AI can “fundamentally change our sense of personhood and society.”

A proponent of safe AI that serves humans, Suleyman has consistently maintained that technologies as powerful as AI should be built responsibly and should focus on empowering humans and society at large. He even introduced the recently launched Copilot features as a “humanist AI.”

When asked the question about consciousness in AI and those organisations that are researching it, the Microsoft AI Chief reportedly answered, “I don't think that is work that people should be doing. If you ask the wrong question, you end up with the wrong answer. I think it's totally the wrong question.”

He reportedly also drew a parallel between humans' ability to experience pain and feeling sad as a result, and the AI's inability to do so. Suleyman also highlighted that instead of experiencing anything, the technology just simulates it, CNBC reported.

Adding to the point, he reportedly mentioned that since AI systems do not have a pain network, they cannot suffer, and that is why they do not deserve rights like people do. Finally, addressing the organisations that are either researching the topic or are working towards creating human-like AI chatbots, Suleyman reportedly said, “They're not conscious. So it would be absurd to pursue research that investigates that question, because they're not and they can't be.”