Science & Tech · AI · 4 hrs ago
Study finds people rate AI as less conscious than humans showing the same behavior
Researchers at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich studied how people judge AI and human characters in five experiments with 1,092 participants from the UK.
Participants rated AI as less conscious than humans showing the same behavior, even when the AI responded strongly to its surroundings.
The gap narrowed when people were asked about awareness, meaning perception of the environment, rather than consciousness.
The study measured human judgments, not whether machines have inner experiences, so it does not prove that AI can or cannot feel.
Participants read written scenarios, and the UK sample does not necessarily reflect views around the world.
The findings suggest that the words used to describe AI can shape public judgments, but the study does not say what should happen next.
A study found that people rated artificial intelligence as less conscious than humans described as showing the same behavior.
The research, published in Cognition, involved 1,092 participants in the United Kingdom across five experiments.
The gap between ratings narrowed when participants were asked about awareness of the environment rather than consciousness.
The study measured people’s judgments and did not determine whether machines have subjective experiences.
- Who
- Researchers led by Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich conducted the study with 1,092 participants from the United Kingdom.
- What
- Participants rated AI as less conscious than humans showing equivalent behavior.
- When
- Published on October 17, 2026.
- Where
- The study involved participants from the United Kingdom and was led by Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany.
- Why
- The research examined how people judge consciousness and awareness in humans and artificial systems.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Participants
- 1,092 people from the United Kingdom
- Experiments
- Five
- Journal
- Cognition
- Study leader
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
- Assessment gap
- Smaller for awareness of the environment than for consciousness
What people are saying
We may be using mental terms to refer to AI, but this may be only because we lack better words.
This makes our choice of language important.