What if AI becomes conscious?

The question of whether Artificial Intelligence can become conscious is not just a philosophical question but a political one. Given that an increasing number of people are forming social relationships with AI systems, the calls for treating them as persons with legal protections might not be far off. In this interview based on his book The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI, Jonathan Birch argues that we shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss the possibility that AI could become conscious, but warns that we are not ready, conceptually or societally, for such an eventuality.