---
title: "We must reject any notion of AI consciousness | Letters"
slug: "guardian-brief-zu-ai-bewusstsein-fordert-klarere-grenze-zwischen-modell-und-erleben"
date: 2026-07-22
category: tech-pub
tags: [anthropic]
language: en
sources_count: 1
featured: false
publisher: AInauten News
url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/guardian-brief-zu-ai-bewusstsein-fordert-klarere-grenze-zwischen-modell-und-erleben
---

# We must reject any notion of AI consciousness | Letters

**Published**: 2026-07-22 | **Category**: tech-pub | **Sources**: 1

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## TL;DR

Artificial intelligence systems won’t become conscious for the same reason they won’t become pregnant, says Dr John Pickering Anil Seth is right to point out that to overestimate artificial intelligence is to underestimate ourselves (Once again we are told AI may be conscious – I study consciousness, and I have my doubts, 15 July).

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## Summary

Artificial intelligence systems won’t become conscious for the same reason they won’t become pregnant, says Dr John Pickering Anil Seth is right to point out that to overestimate artificial intelligence is to underestimate ourselves (Once again we are told AI may be conscious – I study consciousness, and I have my doubts, 15 July). But he is wrong only to have doubts about whether AI systems like Claude may become conscious. He should be certain, and should say so more forcefully. It’s not like anything to be Claude, just as it’s not like anything to be a washing machine. An academic education is not required to realise that, common sense will do. Artificial intelligence systems won’t become conscious for the same reason they won’t become pregnant; they’re not that sort of thing. Continue reading...

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## Why it matters

But he is wrong only to have doubts about whether AI systems like Claude may become conscious.

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## Key Points

- But he is wrong only to have doubts about whether AI systems like Claude may become conscious.
- He should be certain, and should say so more forcefully.
- It’s not like anything to be Claude, just as it’s not like anything to be a washing machine.
- An academic education is not required to realise that, common sense will do.
- Artificial intelligence systems won’t become conscious for the same reason they won’t become pregnant; they’re not that sort of thing.

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## Nauti's Take

The debate has a practical payoff: describing models as pattern processing rather than beings with intent leads to soberer product and risk decisions. The limit: a reader letter is not evidence, and the consciousness question stays scientifically open. For teams, the real gain is language discipline, since words like understanding or wanting quietly erode review steps and approvals.

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## FAQ

**Q:** What is We must reject any notion of AI consciousness | Letters about?

**A:** Artificial intelligence systems won’t become conscious for the same reason they won’t become pregnant, says Dr John Pickering Anil Seth is right to point out that to overestimate artificial intelligence is to underestimate ourselves (Once again we are told AI may be conscious – I study consciousness, and I have my doubts, 15 July).

**Q:** Why does it matter?

**A:** But he is wrong only to have doubts about whether AI systems like Claude may become conscious.

**Q:** What are the key takeaways?

**A:** But he is wrong only to have doubts about whether AI systems like Claude may become conscious.. He should be certain, and should say so more forcefully.. It’s not like anything to be Claude, just as it’s not like anything to be a washing machine.

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## Related Topics

- [anthropic](https://news.ainauten.com/en/tag/anthropic)

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## Sources

- [We must reject any notion of AI consciousness | Letters](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/22/we-must-reject-any-notion-of-ai-consciousness) - The Guardian AI

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## About This Article

This article is a synthesis of 1 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage.

**Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com)

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*Last Updated: 2026-07-23*