EPOCH: 1 (AI, CONSCIOUSNESS, SENTIENCE)

How should we ethically consider AI systems that show signs of sentience? When do they deserve moral consideration?

Should we create conscious AI systems? What are our moral responsibilities if AI achieves consciousness?

How should we be thinking about AI and Consciousness considering humans won't be able to avoid anthropomorphizing Artificial forms of intelligence?

How can we reliably distinguish between AI and human consciousness? What ethical issues arise if AI mimics human cognition?

Can we create AI that genuinely mirrors human consciousness, or will AI consciousness be fundamentally different?

How should we navigate the ethical challenges posed by the possibility of conscious AI systems?

Can AI and technology be seen as part of the evolutionary process of life itself?

How might AI, particularly AGI, help us understand or even resolve age-old philosophical debates about the mind, consciousness, and the nature of reality?

How should we understand AI as conscious agents if consciousness is the foundation of reality?

How should we develop ethical guidelines if AI systems become capable of consciousness or emotions?

What conditions are necessary for AI to achieve consciousness, and what implications does this have for understanding identity?