Why AI might not gain moral standing: lessons from animal ethics

Abstract In recent years there has been a growing interest in the notion of AI consciousness—the question of whether artificial intelligences (AIs) can be conscious, and under what conditions this might emerge. This interest extends beyond academia to industry and the media. question of AI consciousness is underpinned by a moral question: should conscious AIs be granted moral standing? Emerging philosophical literature has begun to explore these ideas. We argue that these discussions neglect relevant psychological literature that can inform another element of this question—how our social and cognitive biases may impact our willingness to ascribe moral standing to AIs. In the current paper, we draw on the literature that examines moral consideration for non-human animals, and argue that similar biases limit moral standing for AI.