Patrick Butlin
Philosopher; lead author of the 2023 'Consciousness in AI' report
Patrick Butlin is a philosopher who researches whether AI systems could be conscious. He led the 2023 report, written with Robert Long and other researchers, that turned leading scientific theories of consciousness into a checklist for assessing AI. It found no current system met the checklist but saw no obvious barrier to building one that does. He is also named on the website of Eleos AI, the nonprofit Robert Long leads.
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A Philosopher's Guide to AI Welfare
Jeff Sebo (September 17, 2026) on whether AI systems could matter morally: consciousness, sentience and agency are three distinct ways something can count — and in AI, unlike in animals, they may not come as a package.
Why this: Covers AI welfare and consciousness too
'A Deeply Weird Question': Inside the Berkeley Conference Debating If AI Can Feel Pain
SF Standard (Sept. 26, 2026) on a gathering of philosophers and tech workers at Berkeley's Lighthaven to debate AI welfare and consciousness — whether chatbots could feel pain, love, or refuse military service.
Why this: Covers AI welfare and consciousness too
The Brain in the Dark: A Conversation with Karl Friston
Thought Economics interview with neuroscientist Karl Friston on perception, free will, and whether machines can be conscious.
Why this: Also about consciousness
Studying AI Welfare Empirically
92-page report from Eleos AI Research, New York University and the University of Oxford (Robert Long, Jeff Sebo and others) offering guidance on empirical research into whether AI systems can be welfare subjects.
Why this: Also about AI welfare