Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Is AI conscious? Most people say yes, says study

Two-thirds of people surveyed think that artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT have some degree of consciousness and can have subjective experiences such as feelings and memories, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo.

Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT often display a conversational style when outputting content. These human-like abilities have spurred debates on whether AI has consciousness. 

According to the researchers, if people believe that AI has some level of consciousness, it could ultimately affect how people interact with AI tools, potentially strengthening social bonds and increasing trust. On the other hand, excessive trust can also lead to emotional dependence, reduced human interactions, and over-reliance on AI to make critical decisions.

“While most experts deny that current AI could be conscious, our research shows that for most of the general public, AI consciousness is already a reality,” said Dr. Clara Colombatto, professor of psychology at Waterloo’s Arts faculty. 

To understand public attitudes about AI consciousness, Colombatto and her colleague Dr. Steve Fleming at University College London surveyed a stratified sample of 300 people in the U.S. and asked if they thought ChatGPT could have the capacity for consciousness, as well as a variety of other mental states – such as the ability to make plans, reason, and feel emotions – and how often they used the tool. 

The research found that the more people used ChatGPT, the more likely they were to attribute consciousness to it – an important consideration as AI tools are increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. 

“These results demonstrate the power of language because a conversation alone can lead us to think that an agent that looks and works very differently from us can have a mind,” said Colombatto.

“Alongside emotions, consciousness is related to intellectual abilities that are essential for moral responsibility: the capacity to formulate plans, act intentionally, and have self-control are tenets of our ethical and legal systems. These public attitudes should thus be a key consideration in designing and regulating AI for safe use, alongside expert consensus.”

Future research will explore more specific factors driving these consciousness attributions, and their consequences for trust and social bonding, as well as possible variations within the same people across time, and across different people in other countries and cultures. 

The article “Folk psychological attributions of consciousness to large language models” was published in Neuroscience of Consciousness. 

Test of the campus emergency communication system tomorrow

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST).

Information Systems & Technology (IST) will be testing the University’s campus-wide emergency communication system on Thursday, July 11, at 2:30 p.m.

What is the impact?

Emergency communication channels being tested include:

• Tweets to @UWaterloo and @WatSAFEapp;
• WatSAFE mobile app;
• The ‘WatSAFE Desktop Notification’ on-screen pop-up for desktops and laptops; and
• Portal alerts and push notifications.

Messaging

The message displayed will read “TEST of the UW Emergency Notification System. During an actual emergency or threat, you would receive instructions. No action is required.” More information regarding the emergency would be available at alert.uwaterloo.ca.

Approximately 15 minutes after the test activation message is sent, a deactivation message will display, “The test of the UW Emergency Notification System is complete.”

In the event of a real emergency during this test, please contact Police Services at 519-888-4911, or ext. 22222.

Be sure to install the WatSAFE app on your device and WatSAFE Desktop Notification tool on your desktop/laptop to receive this test message, and more importantly, to stay informed of campus emergency situations. Visit the WatSAFE website for more details.

Questions or concerns? Please contact the IST Service Desk via the IST Help Portal.

Remembering Distinguished Professor Emeritus Gordon Nelson

Distinguished Professor Emeritus and second Dean of the Faculty of Environment James Gordon Nelson died on Saturday, May 11.

Dr. Nelson was a pioneer in resource development and environmental management research, known for his work in land use, landscape change, the development of public parks, the management of wild lands, the role of the public in planning and policymaking, and the impacts of development of offshore oil and gas resources.

He was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1932. Educated at McMaster University, the University of Colorado and Johns Hopkins University, he taught for several years at the University of Calgary before serving as a geography professor at the University of Western Ontario (now Western University).

He was first appointed as dean of the Faculty of Environmental Studies (now known as the Faculty of Environment) in 1975, when he came to Waterloo from Western. He succeeded Dr. Peter Nash, the first dean of the Faculty, which had been established in 1970. He was reappointed to the deanship in 1979 and served until 1983.

“Gordon Nelson was a pioneer in environmental scholarship, and his research and civic engagement related to parks, protected areas, and natural heritage had lasting impacts,” says Dr. Jean Andrey, a former colleague. “Also, as the second dean of the Faculty of Environmental Studies, he helped to create a culture that encouraged interdisciplinarity and genuine partnerships that extended beyond the academy.”

Dr. Nelson was renowned as one of Canada’s most prominent geographers. Throughout his career, he was an advisor to governments at all levels. He was president of the board of trustees of the National and Provincial Park Association of Canada and was a member of the human environment committee of the Social Sciences Research Council. He served on the boards of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Heritage Canada and other organizations. He was a longtime member of the Rotary Club, sponsoring many field trips, urban and rural adventures for young people.

In the 1990s, Dr. Nelson’s research focused on the Great Lakes and the Grand River Watershed. As chair of the Heritage Resources Centre, he led workshops to stimulate public interest in Ontario’s countryside, including the International Countryside Stewardship Exchange in 1996. In 1978, Dr. Nelson became the first recipient of the Parks Canada National Heritage Award, created to recognize person outside the public service who made contributions in conservation. In 1993 he was awarded the Massey Medal from the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, which was given for “personal achievement in the exploration, development or description of the geography of Canada.” In 1994 he received a Waterloo Region Environmental Award for his work in having the Grand River designated a Canadian heritage river.

After 22 years at Waterloo, Dr. Nelson retired in July 1997. He had supervised nearly 70 graduate students and published several books during that time.

Dr. Nelson was named Distinguished Professor Emeritus in October 1998 in recognition of his work as an ecologist, geographer, planner and policymaker. Active in retirement, he continued to host talks, colloquiums, and other events on and off-campus.

He received the National Rivers Conservation Award of Merit in 2004 for his role in protecting the Grand River.

It's a meltdown after midterms and other notes

Midterm Meltdown will be taking place today from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. in the SLC Green Space Great Hall (location changed due to today's rainy weather). Undergraduate students will be able to grab a free frozen treat courtesy of WUSA's many student services while supplies last. A valid WatCard is required for entry to the event, and vegan and gluten-free options will be available.

For those of us not eligible for ice cream, fear not! Food Truck Wednesdays continue in the Arts quad today from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with food from Passado Brasil and El Milagro.

Waterloo's Virtual Private Network (VPN) will be unavailable the morning of Thursday, July 11 as it is being migrated to new equipment as part of IST's core equipment refresh project. 

The temporary outage will take place between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 11, and the VPN service will be unavailable during the maintenance window. IST reports that "client configurations will be updated automatically once they connect to the VPN service following the maintenance window."