Researchers report that people make a clear distinction between human consciousness and artificial intelligence, even when an AI system behaves exactly like a human. In the study, participants viewed the most responsive AI as less conscious than the least responsive human, suggesting that “consciousness” judgments depend on perceived humanity rather than behavioral similarity.
However, when the question shifts from “consciousness” to “awareness,” participants’ ratings become more similar for humans and AI. The findings indicate that people may use different concepts—consciousness versus awareness—when evaluating AI behavior, and that framing can strongly affect how people interpret the mental state of AI systems. The research is presented as evidence that, despite increasingly humanlike responses from AI, many people still do not attribute the same level of consciousness to AI.
