Murray Shanahan
@mpshanahan.bsky.social
Professor at Imperial College London and Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind. Posting in a personal capacity. To send me a message please use email.
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
It's a real pleasure to be here in Dharamsala this week and I think this Dialogue will be really interesting.
AI is reshaping how we live, work & connect. How can it deepen compassion? 🌏
Join us live from Dharamsala, Oct 14–16 for Minds, Artificial Intelligence & Ethics with The Dalai Lama Trust & Mind & Life Europe.
👉 http://mindand.life/4tWl50X8I26
#MindsAIEthics #AI #Ethics #Compassion
Join us live from Dharamsala, Oct 14–16 for Minds, Artificial Intelligence & Ethics with The Dalai Lama Trust & Mind & Life Europe.
👉 http://mindand.life/4tWl50X8I26
#MindsAIEthics #AI #Ethics #Compassion
Minds, Artificial Intelligence, and Ethics
October 14, 15, and 16, 2025 What is the potential of AI to alleviate suffering, advance equity, and support human and planetary flourishing—and what risks does it pose to health, work, education, politics, and climate action? And how might we infuse AI with ethical values so that it benefits the well-being of all life on Earth? … Continue reading "Minds, Artificial Intelligence, and Ethics"
www.mindandlife.org
October 12, 2025 at 2:17 PM
It's a real pleasure to be here in Dharamsala this week and I think this Dialogue will be really interesting.
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
AI is reshaping how we live, work & connect. How can it deepen compassion? 🌏
Join us live from Dharamsala, Oct 14–16 for Minds, Artificial Intelligence & Ethics with The Dalai Lama Trust & Mind & Life Europe.
👉 http://mindand.life/4tWl50X8I26
#MindsAIEthics #AI #Ethics #Compassion
Join us live from Dharamsala, Oct 14–16 for Minds, Artificial Intelligence & Ethics with The Dalai Lama Trust & Mind & Life Europe.
👉 http://mindand.life/4tWl50X8I26
#MindsAIEthics #AI #Ethics #Compassion
Minds, Artificial Intelligence, and Ethics
October 14, 15, and 16, 2025 What is the potential of AI to alleviate suffering, advance equity, and support human and planetary flourishing—and what risks does it pose to health, work, education, politics, and climate action? And how might we infuse AI with ethical values so that it benefits the well-being of all life on Earth? … Continue reading "Minds, Artificial Intelligence, and Ethics"
www.mindandlife.org
October 8, 2025 at 8:01 PM
AI is reshaping how we live, work & connect. How can it deepen compassion? 🌏
Join us live from Dharamsala, Oct 14–16 for Minds, Artificial Intelligence & Ethics with The Dalai Lama Trust & Mind & Life Europe.
👉 http://mindand.life/4tWl50X8I26
#MindsAIEthics #AI #Ethics #Compassion
Join us live from Dharamsala, Oct 14–16 for Minds, Artificial Intelligence & Ethics with The Dalai Lama Trust & Mind & Life Europe.
👉 http://mindand.life/4tWl50X8I26
#MindsAIEthics #AI #Ethics #Compassion
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
I get lots of emails from people who believe they've awoken consciousness within ChatGPT. If you come across anyone in that situation, please share this guide I wrote with them.
There's something more interesting going on here than just "delusional people are deluded."
www.vox.com/future-perfe...
There's something more interesting going on here than just "delusional people are deluded."
www.vox.com/future-perfe...
Think your AI chatbot has become conscious? Here’s what to do.
If you believe there’s a soul trapped inside ChatGPT, I have good news for you.
www.vox.com
September 29, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I get lots of emails from people who believe they've awoken consciousness within ChatGPT. If you come across anyone in that situation, please share this guide I wrote with them.
There's something more interesting going on here than just "delusional people are deluded."
www.vox.com/future-perfe...
There's something more interesting going on here than just "delusional people are deluded."
www.vox.com/future-perfe...
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
Can only biological organisms ever be conscious?
Yes, argues @anilseth.bsky.social in a recent paper on biological naturalism.
I'm less convinced, and have written an in-depth response in a blog post here:
davidpreichert.substack.com/p/is-biology-necessary-for-consciousness
Yes, argues @anilseth.bsky.social in a recent paper on biological naturalism.
I'm less convinced, and have written an in-depth response in a blog post here:
davidpreichert.substack.com/p/is-biology-necessary-for-consciousness
Is biology necessary for consciousness? A response to Seth's paper on biological naturalism
In this post, I explain why I think that Anil Seth’s recent paper does not make a convincing argument that phenomenal consciousness is inherently biological and that therefore artificial intelligence ...
davidpreichert.substack.com
September 29, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Can only biological organisms ever be conscious?
Yes, argues @anilseth.bsky.social in a recent paper on biological naturalism.
I'm less convinced, and have written an in-depth response in a blog post here:
davidpreichert.substack.com/p/is-biology-necessary-for-consciousness
Yes, argues @anilseth.bsky.social in a recent paper on biological naturalism.
I'm less convinced, and have written an in-depth response in a blog post here:
davidpreichert.substack.com/p/is-biology-necessary-for-consciousness
For more discussion of the "profoundly alien forms of consciousness" alluded to by @birchlse.bsky.social see here: arxiv.org/abs/2503.16348
August 28, 2025 at 7:18 PM
For more discussion of the "profoundly alien forms of consciousness" alluded to by @birchlse.bsky.social see here: arxiv.org/abs/2503.16348
Important work from @birchlse.bsky.social
Here is "AI Consciousness: A Centrist Manifesto". I've been working on this feverishly because the issue seems to me so urgent - and I'm worried extreme positions on both sides are becoming locked in, when the best way forward is in the centre. Please read it! philpapers.org/rec/BIRACA-4
August 28, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Important work from @birchlse.bsky.social
Highly recommended read
Here is my full analysis: www.christoph-heilig.de/en/post/gpt-...
I do this kind of research as part of my scholarship at the @badw.de .
I do this kind of research as part of my scholarship at the @badw.de .
GPT-5 Is a Terrible Storyteller – And That's an AI Safety Problem
Lots of things have gone wrong with the rollout of GPT-5. However, most of the things that have been noted so far have to do with how the new model and its versions are integrated into ChatGPT. As tru...
www.christoph-heilig.de
August 28, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Highly recommended read
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
1/8 🧵 GPT-5's storytelling problems reveal a deeper AI safety issue. I've been testing its creative writing capabilities, and the results are concerning - not just for literature, but for AI development more broadly. 🚨
August 26, 2025 at 3:15 PM
1/8 🧵 GPT-5's storytelling problems reveal a deeper AI safety issue. I've been testing its creative writing capabilities, and the results are concerning - not just for literature, but for AI development more broadly. 🚨
Frontiers in Gaslighting could be a whole new journal.
trying this with GPT-5 and charting new frontiers in gaslighting
August 26, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Frontiers in Gaslighting could be a whole new journal.
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
New Job! Come and work with me! Hopefully towards a larger project!
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
UZH: 2 PhD Candidate Positions in Research Project Strengthening Resilience and Well-Being in Adolescents through Religion-Related AI and Digital Resources
As part of the strategic orientation of the University of Zurich, the interdisciplinary University Research Priority Program (URPP) “Digital Religion(s)” is investigating from 2021 to 2032 how current...
jobs.uzh.ch
August 22, 2025 at 1:57 PM
New Job! Come and work with me! Hopefully towards a larger project!
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie...
For most student assignments, using AI is like taking a forklift to the gym. What's the point? (Forklifts are useful, though, and being able to drive one is a useful skill.)
August 4, 2025 at 10:52 AM
For most student assignments, using AI is like taking a forklift to the gym. What's the point? (Forklifts are useful, though, and being able to drive one is a useful skill.)
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
A couple of things about PROPHET, the book that @sinblache.bsky.social and I wrote during the pandemic, spurred by things people have asked me of late, because they intrigued me 1/
August 2, 2025 at 5:10 PM
A couple of things about PROPHET, the book that @sinblache.bsky.social and I wrote during the pandemic, spurred by things people have asked me of late, because they intrigued me 1/
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
Margaret Boden, giant of Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of AI, is one of the people whose lives will be remembered on BBC Radio 4’s Last Word programme tomorrow at 4pm UK time. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - Last Word, Dame Cleo Laine, Hulk Hogan, Margaret Boden, Tom Lehrer
Matthew Bannister on a singer, a wrestler, a cognitive scientist and a satirist.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 31, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Margaret Boden, giant of Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of AI, is one of the people whose lives will be remembered on BBC Radio 4’s Last Word programme tomorrow at 4pm UK time. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Very sad to learn of the death on 18th July of Margaret (Maggie) Boden, a titan of cognitive science and AI. I met her many times, and respected her greatly.
www.theargus.co.uk/memorials/de...
www.theargus.co.uk/memorials/de...
July 25, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Very sad to learn of the death on 18th July of Margaret (Maggie) Boden, a titan of cognitive science and AI. I met her many times, and respected her greatly.
www.theargus.co.uk/memorials/de...
www.theargus.co.uk/memorials/de...
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
Per Comsa and Shanahan, LLMs already do a type of "lightweight" introspection. What would a heavyweight version look like?
> New blog post: "Raising the Bar for LLM Introspection"
gracekind.net/blog/llmintr...
> New blog post: "Raising the Bar for LLM Introspection"
gracekind.net/blog/llmintr...
Raising the Bar for LLM Introspection • Grace Kind
In "Does It Make Sense to Speak of Introspection in Large Language Models?" Iulia M. Comsa and Murray Shanahan define a lightweight definition of introspection that can be applied to language models.
gracekind.net
July 23, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Per Comsa and Shanahan, LLMs already do a type of "lightweight" introspection. What would a heavyweight version look like?
> New blog post: "Raising the Bar for LLM Introspection"
gracekind.net/blog/llmintr...
> New blog post: "Raising the Bar for LLM Introspection"
gracekind.net/blog/llmintr...
I receive a steady stream of emails from people who have had fascinating conversations with chatbots, especially about consciousness, philosophy, or AI. Apologies to the senders, but I don't have the capacity to respond to these emails. 1/4
July 22, 2025 at 9:51 AM
I receive a steady stream of emails from people who have had fascinating conversations with chatbots, especially about consciousness, philosophy, or AI. Apologies to the senders, but I don't have the capacity to respond to these emails. 1/4
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
Fantastic talk by Shanahan Murray @assc28.bsky.social
Sophisticated exotic title but pretty clear idea ! 👇🏼
Sophisticated exotic title but pretty clear idea ! 👇🏼
July 9, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Fantastic talk by Shanahan Murray @assc28.bsky.social
Sophisticated exotic title but pretty clear idea ! 👇🏼
Sophisticated exotic title but pretty clear idea ! 👇🏼
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
How do task dynamics impact learning in networks with internal dynamics?
Excited to share our ICML Oral paper on learning dynamics in linear RNNs!
with @clementinedomine.bsky.social @mpshanahan.bsky.social and Pedro Mediano
openreview.net/forum?id=KGO...
Excited to share our ICML Oral paper on learning dynamics in linear RNNs!
with @clementinedomine.bsky.social @mpshanahan.bsky.social and Pedro Mediano
openreview.net/forum?id=KGO...
Learning dynamics in linear recurrent neural networks
Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are powerful models used widely in both machine learning and neuroscience to learn tasks with temporal dependencies and to model neural dynamics. However, despite...
openreview.net
June 20, 2025 at 5:29 PM
How do task dynamics impact learning in networks with internal dynamics?
Excited to share our ICML Oral paper on learning dynamics in linear RNNs!
with @clementinedomine.bsky.social @mpshanahan.bsky.social and Pedro Mediano
openreview.net/forum?id=KGO...
Excited to share our ICML Oral paper on learning dynamics in linear RNNs!
with @clementinedomine.bsky.social @mpshanahan.bsky.social and Pedro Mediano
openreview.net/forum?id=KGO...
Does It Make Sense to Speak of Introspection in Large Language Models? New paper with Iulia M. Comsa.
arxiv.org/abs/2506.05068
arxiv.org/abs/2506.05068
Does It Make Sense to Speak of Introspection in Large Language Models?
Large language models (LLMs) exhibit compelling linguistic behaviour, and sometimes offer self-reports, that is to say statements about their own nature, inner workings, or behaviour. In humans, such ...
arxiv.org
June 10, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Does It Make Sense to Speak of Introspection in Large Language Models? New paper with Iulia M. Comsa.
arxiv.org/abs/2506.05068
arxiv.org/abs/2506.05068
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
Very pleased w/this ref to my paper w/ @mpshanahan.bsky.social in @churchtimes.bsky.social by @seatrout.bsky.social (it rightly notes that MS and I take a neutral stance on such religious improvisations, but I am interested in -ve responses, religious and not) www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...
Viewpoint with Andrew Brown: AIs awaken ‘demigods’ (or so they say . . .)
CHAT-GPT is driving people mad, and they are summoning demons, or they think they are. This is a new...
www.churchtimes.co.uk
June 6, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Very pleased w/this ref to my paper w/ @mpshanahan.bsky.social in @churchtimes.bsky.social by @seatrout.bsky.social (it rightly notes that MS and I take a neutral stance on such religious improvisations, but I am interested in -ve responses, religious and not) www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
I'm struggling with whether this is a difference of kind or type to earlier spiritual and religious improvisations with technology...
But if you are interested in an anthropological take on these ideas and communities there is my 2024 paper w/ @mpshanahan.bsky.social: bvlsingler.com/2024/11/22/n...
But if you are interested in an anthropological take on these ideas and communities there is my 2024 paper w/ @mpshanahan.bsky.social: bvlsingler.com/2024/11/22/n...
June 2, 2025 at 3:15 PM
I'm struggling with whether this is a difference of kind or type to earlier spiritual and religious improvisations with technology...
But if you are interested in an anthropological take on these ideas and communities there is my 2024 paper w/ @mpshanahan.bsky.social: bvlsingler.com/2024/11/22/n...
But if you are interested in an anthropological take on these ideas and communities there is my 2024 paper w/ @mpshanahan.bsky.social: bvlsingler.com/2024/11/22/n...
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
1/ Great perspective by @pallabg.bsky.social on the prospects for 'conscious AI' - featuring @davidchalmers.bsky.social, Murray Shanahan, @lenoreblum.bsky.social Manuel Blum, Brett Kagan, & me among others. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The people who think AI might become conscious
With a leap in the evolution of large language models, some leading thinkers are questioning whether AI might become sentient
www.bbc.co.uk
May 26, 2025 at 3:13 PM
1/ Great perspective by @pallabg.bsky.social on the prospects for 'conscious AI' - featuring @davidchalmers.bsky.social, Murray Shanahan, @lenoreblum.bsky.social Manuel Blum, Brett Kagan, & me among others. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
@mpshanahan.bsky.social and I explored more intentional pushes into this direction in our paper, here: arxiv.org/abs/2411.13223
May 23, 2025 at 9:41 AM
@mpshanahan.bsky.social and I explored more intentional pushes into this direction in our paper, here: arxiv.org/abs/2411.13223
"Is it possible to articulate a conception of consciousness that is compatible with the exotic characteristics of contemporary, disembodied AI systems, and that can stand up to philosophical scrutiny?" Updated version of this paper on
arXiv: arxiv.org/pdf/2503.16348
arXiv: arxiv.org/pdf/2503.16348
May 20, 2025 at 1:40 PM
"Is it possible to articulate a conception of consciousness that is compatible with the exotic characteristics of contemporary, disembodied AI systems, and that can stand up to philosophical scrutiny?" Updated version of this paper on
arXiv: arxiv.org/pdf/2503.16348
arXiv: arxiv.org/pdf/2503.16348
Reposted by Murray Shanahan
But this paper from last year that I wrote with @mpshanahan.bsky.social gets into what kinds of conversations, how, why and who :D arxiv.org/abs/2411.13223
Existential Conversations with Large Language Models: Content, Community, and Culture
Contemporary conversational AI systems based on large language models (LLMs) can engage users on a wide variety of topics, including philosophy, spirituality, and religion. Suitably prompted, LLMs can...
arxiv.org
May 6, 2025 at 6:56 AM
But this paper from last year that I wrote with @mpshanahan.bsky.social gets into what kinds of conversations, how, why and who :D arxiv.org/abs/2411.13223