AI's Consciousness: A Myth, AI Misuse: A Reality

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will never attain consciousness, according to Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon and Sentient, an open-source AI company. In an interview with Cointelegraph, Nailwal asserted that AI lacks the inherent intention found in humans and other biological beings, making it impossible for AI to develop a significant level of consciousness.

Nailwal dismissed the notion that consciousness emerges randomly from complex chemical interactions or processes. While these processes can create complex cells, they cannot generate consciousness. Instead, Nailwal expressed concern about centralized institutions misusing AI for surveillance and curtailing individual freedoms. He believes that AI should be transparent and democratized to prevent such misuse.

Nailwal's vision for Sentient is to create a global AI controlled by every human being, fostering a borderless world. He also emphasized the need for individuals to have custom AI loyal to them, protecting against other AIs deployed by powerful institutions.

In a separate development, Anthropic, an AI company, released a paper in October 2024 outlining potential AI sabotage scenarios and possible solutions. The paper concluded that while AI is not an immediate threat, it could become dangerous as AI models advance. David Holtzman, a former military intelligence professional and chief strategy officer of the Naoris decentralized security protocol, echoed Nailwal's concerns about AI privacy risks in the near term. Holtzman also advocated for decentralization as a safeguard against AI threats.