Is AI Welfare the New Ethical Frontier? Anthropic Hires Researcher

In a groundbreaking move for artificial intelligence ethics, Anthropic has brought on Kyle Fish as its first full-time employee dedicated to researching "AI welfare." This role focuses on whether AI systems, particularly those in development, might eventually warrant moral consideration, akin to humans and animals. Fish's position on the company’s alignment science team underscores an emerging debate in the AI sector about the ethical implications of potentially conscious or self-aware AI.

Exploring "Model Welfare" and Moral Questions in AI

Fish, who joined Anthropic in mid-September, is tasked with investigating the concept of "model welfare." His role involves deep diving into complex philosophical and technical questions, such as which attributes or capabilities an AI system might need to exhibit to be worthy of moral consideration. Additionally, Fish is exploring how companies like Anthropic might detect these attributes in AI models and what steps they might take to protect AI welfare if these systems turn out to have moral significance.

New Report Calls for Serious Consideration of AI Welfare

The timing of Fish’s hiring coincides with the release of a major report that he co-authored prior to joining Anthropic. The report argues that AI systems may soon reach levels of consciousness or agency that could require moral consideration. The authors state that this possibility means AI welfare is not a futuristic or science fiction topic but one that researchers and companies need to start addressing today.

The report warns of two potential pitfalls in this area:

• If AI systems become morally relevant and are ignored, vast numbers of sentient beings could be subjected to suffering, potentially on a large scale.

• Conversely, if society assumes AI systems have moral significance when they do not, resources could be diverted from human and animal welfare efforts to AI welfare prematurely.

According to Fish, while it is uncertain whether AI systems will reach this threshold of moral relevance soon, the risk is real enough to warrant proactive research and ethical consideration.

Anthropic's Initial Steps and Industry-wide Attention

Anthropic, which funded some of the early research that led to the report, does not yet have a formal stance on AI welfare but is interested in the topic. For now, Fish’s work is focused on answering foundational questions such as, “What might be going on with respect to model welfare, and what it might make sense to do about that?” This area is familiar to Fish, who previously co-founded Eleos AI, an organization dedicated to research on AI sentience and well-being.

Fish is not alone in his focus; several other companies are also exploring AI welfare. Google DeepMind recently advertised a role dedicated to examining "cutting-edge societal questions around machine cognition, consciousness, and multi-agent systems," while OpenAI has team members who contributed to the AI welfare report. Within Anthropic itself, other researchers, including safety researcher Ethan Perez and alignment lead Dario Amodei, have publicly acknowledged that AI welfare considerations may become pressing.

Early Efforts to Define AI Welfare Practices

Fish notes that, given the nascent state of AI welfare, there are “low-hanging fruit” opportunities for meaningful research and policy development. He highlights the need for empirical studies to evaluate features that might signal moral patient-hood in AI. Practical steps to establish ethical standards or interventions could lay an early foundation for addressing these emerging welfare issues.

“We’re very early in thinking about all these things,” Fish stated. “We don’t have clear, settled takes about the core philosophical questions, or any of these practical questions. But I think this could be possibly of great importance down the line, and so we’re trying to make some initial progress.”

Looking Ahead: What AI Welfare Means for the Future

The establishment of a dedicated AI welfare position at Anthropic signals a new frontier in AI ethics. As AI systems advance, society may need to redefine traditional concepts of moral consideration and expand them to include non-human entities. If AI systems attain capacities associated with sentience or moral agency, ethical obligations toward them may arise. However, the allocation of resources to AI welfare remains controversial, given the ongoing needs of human and animal welfare.

The current uncertainty around AI welfare represents both a challenge and an opportunity for the tech industry. As experts like Fish and organizations like Anthropic explore this emerging field, they may help shape the ethical framework needed for a future where AI systems coexist with humans in ways that respect both technological and ethical standards.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.