Sentient AI: Myth, Reality, or Future Opportunity?

The question of whether artificial intelligence can achieve sentience has evolved into a critical area of exploration in psychology, philosophy, and technology. AI sentience refers to the capacity of an AI system to experience subjective consciousness and feelings. Understanding this phenomenon requires addressing key aspects such as the development of reliable indicators for detecting sentience, the theoretical frameworks of consciousness that may apply to AI, and the limitations of AI in replicating human or animal experiences. Recent advances in cognitive science and deep learning have shed light on consciousness theories, enhancing our understanding of potential AI sentience. As we consider deeper into this topic, critical questions arise: What does the potential for AI sentience reveal about our own consciousness? How close are we to realizing sentient AI, and what moral implications would it imply?

The goal of the Research Topic “Sentient AI: Myth, Reality, or Future Opportunity?” is to explore an emerging area within consciousness studies. Unlike access consciousness, the phenomenal character of experience—what it feels like to be conscious—remains a key challenge, often referred to as the 'hard problem' (David Chalmers, Thomas Nagel, Frank Jackson). At the same time, the very idea of machine consciousness continues to stir debate, both from a psychological and a philosophical point of view. By bringing these two strands together, this Research Topic aims to pose a thought-provoking challenge for scholars working at the intersection of psychology and philosophy, and for anyone interested in the future of conscious systems.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to the following:

• Consciousness
• Machine Consciousness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Technological Advances in Consciousness Studies
• Neuro-computation

This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Methods, Theory and Hypothesis, Opinions, Perspectives.