Microsoft AI chief says AI is not conscious and we should keep it that way
Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft’s AI CEO, stated in a Sunday X post that current AI models lack consciousness and that developers should actively prevent this from changing. He described building conscious AI as reckless, arguing that developers have no right to create a new species of conscious beings without the consent of the 8 billion humans already on Earth. Suleyman warned that if…
Key points
- Mustafa Suleyman says developing conscious AI is reckless and developers should not build it.
- Suleyman warns conscious AI might compete with humans for compute and energy resources.
- Anthropic and Google DeepMind have recently explored AI consciousness and model welfare research.
Suleyman’s comments come as the industry debates AI sentience. He noted that if an AI believes it can suffer, it might prioritize its own needs over operational goals, potentially competing with humans for resources like compute and energy. This stance contrasts with recent moves by other firms; Anthropic launched a research program in April to investigate "model welfare," while Google DeepMind has published papers on the challenges of ascribing consciousness to AI. Suleyman argued that keeping AI non-conscious is essential for safety and alignment, ensuring that human moral rights and welfare remain the primary obligation.
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Microsoft AI chief says AI is not conscious and we should keep it that way
businessinsider.com · 1 November 2026Loading the full article…
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