My thoughts exactly. As we move in this direction, it's worth building the moral framework to answer the question -- if we can create consciousness, or something quite like it -- is it ethical to do so?
And on the flip side -- when we live in a world where instantiating a consciousness is cheap-or-free -- does that change how we value sentient beings generally?
I think that we’re moving into Buddhist territory. I think the opposite would happen. It would be the ego death of basically the whole world. No one would be spared from the fact that their consciousness is not special. leaders, elites everyone.
If we find out that the soul itself exists, and who knows, maybe there is actually souls, then it might not be great because people would believe they have special souls. I think this is what the Hindu class system is.
Despite all the dreams we are fed of immersing ourselves in AI world and creating a work-free utopia, these shiny new inventions will instead be used to increase corporate bottom lines, not humanity's overall happiness.
And on the flip side -- when we live in a world where instantiating a consciousness is cheap-or-free -- does that change how we value sentient beings generally?