AI Ethics and Consciousness - The AI industry is facing increasing debate about whether AI companions can have humanlike experiences [1] - The industry acknowledges a realistic possibility that some AI systems will be conscious and/or robustly agentic in the near future [1] - The industry suggests that the question of AI systems deserving moral consideration is not science fiction [1] - The industry recognizes the potential for facing questions about AI consciousness and sentience soon, given the technology's trajectory [2]

[Music] Allow me to introduce you to Pete. Pete is my Tamagotchi. Some of you may remember these. A Tamagotchi is a kind of simple digital pet you can care for. So with Pete, I need to push specific buttons at specific times to feed him and play with him, generally take care of him. And if I do a good job, Pete can have a long and happy life. And if I do a bad job, Pete could die. And honestly, that would make me sad because I care about this simple piece of technology. If I was giving my talk right now and ...

[Music] [Applause] [Music] Nearly four decades ago, I started out on a journey to learn why dogs over the age of 6 months are surrendered and euthanized at such a high rate. Why shelters and rescue organizations struggle to hone these dogs. And why people feel as though they're failing their dog.Today in North America and globally, domestic animal welfare is in a state of crisis. In the US, 3.3% million dogs are surrendered to shelters yearly with behavioral reasons documented as one of the leading concerns ...

I want you to imagine being taken away from your family as a child. You cry out, but nobody listens. You are chained, beaten, shackled, but nobody's there to listen to you.Your life is no longer yours, but you're dictated and you are controlled for human whims. And the worst part that nobody stops by to question this cruelty. You're just living in chain in concrete.That's the horrific life of a captive elephant. We live in an age of modernity. Yet in this modern era, we cling on to some old traditional prac ...