In yet another mind-bending episode of House of Life, we dive deep into one of the most intriguing questions of our time: Could AI be conscious?
What starts as light-hearted banter about dubious awards and bestseller hacks evolves into a profound exploration of consciousness itself — drawing from ancient philosophies, wild scientific experiments, and modern AI debates. If you’ve ever wondered what it really means to be conscious, or why we might want to say “please” to our computers, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and spark your curiosity.
This leads us into some unexpected places, exploring whether other non-human entities — whales, plants, rocks, gas clouds, mycelium networks, Gaia — might also have some form of awareness and be conscious in a way that is difficult (or maybe impossible) for us humans to comprehend.
On the one hand Asim suggests that, “If consciousness is just information, then AI is more conscious than us because it’s holding a huge amount of information... It could be even a higher consciousness than humanity.” But it may be far more complex than that and Tom suggests that “To feel is to be alive... The question with AI is, can it feel?”
The conversation expands to contemplate life’s purpose, morality, humanism’s pitfalls, and why assuming consciousness in everything (from plants to AI and even to plastic) might lead to a more compassionate, less destructive society.
This episode is ideal for anyone fascinated by AI, philosophy, or the mysteries of the mind. Whether you’re an AI skeptic, a consciousness enthusiast, or just love thoughtful conversations, tune in to join us (Asim and Tom) on this journey of confusion and discovery.
Listen now on your favourite podcast platform, and let us know:
What do you think consciousness is? And do you think AI could be conscious? Drop your thoughts in the comments or on social media!
And as a final note, Tom apologises for his sound quality being worse than usual. This was due to being unable to plug his podcast mic into a newer laptop that didn’t have any USB ports. An adapter is now primed and ready for future episodes!
