# Agnosticism About Artificial Consciousness

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.13145 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.13145/

## Key facts

- Cited by 6 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 3 of its 22 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 17 Dec 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Consciousness in Artificial Intelligence: Insights from the Science of Consciousness](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.08708/) (2023)
- [The feasibility of artificial consciousness through the lens of neuroscience](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.00915/) (2023)
- [The multilayer connectome of Caenorhabditis elegans](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1608.08793/) (2016)

## Built on by (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [Quantitative Introspection in Language Models: Tracking Emotive States Across Conversation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.18893/) (2026)
- [AI and Consciousness: Shifting Focus Towards Tractable Questions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.06965/) (2026)
- [AI and Consciousness](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.09858/) (2025)
- [AI Consciousness and Existential Risk](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.19115/) (2025)
- [Emergent Language as an Approach to Conscious AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.06380/) (2026)
- [Are Attributions of Consciousness to AI Chatbots Epistemically Innocent?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.20001/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Could an AI have conscious experiences? Any answer to this question should conform to Evidentialism - that is, it should be based not on intuition, dogma or speculation but on solid scientific evidence. I argue that such evidence is hard to come by and that the only justifiable stance on the prospects of artificial consciousness is agnosticism. In the current debate, the main division is between biological views that are sceptical of artificial consciousness and functional views that are sympathetic to it. I argue that both camps make the same mistake of over-estimating what the evidence tells us. Scientific insights into consciousness have been achieved through the study of conscious organisms. Although this has enabled cautious assessments of consciousness in various creatures, extending this to AI faces serious obstacles. AI thus presents consciousness researchers with a dilemma: either reach a verdict on artificial consciousness but violate Evidentialism; or respect Evidentialism but offer no verdict on the prospects of artificial consciousness. The dominant trend in the literature has been to take the first option while purporting to follow the scientific evidence. I argue that if we truly follow the evidence, we must take the second option and adopt agnosticism.