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> we do not have a way to scientifically rule out the possibility that LLMs aren't potentially self-aware/conscious entities of their own

That may be. We also don't have a way to scientifically rule out the possibility that a teapot is orbiting Pluto.

Just because you can't disprove something doesn't make it plausible.

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Is this what we are reduced to now, to snap back with a wannabe-witty remark just because you don't like how an idea sounds? Have we completely forgotten and given up on good-faith scientific discourse? Even on HN?

I'm happy to participate in good faith discourse but honestly the idea that LLMs are conscious is ridiculous.

We are talking about a computer program. It does nothing until it is invoked with an input and then it produces a deterministic output unless provided a random component to prevent determinism.

That's all it does. It does not live a life of its own between invocations. It does not have a will of its own. Of course it isn't conscious lol how could anyone possibly believe it's conscious? It's an illusion. Don't be fooled.

Reading what you said literally, you're making a strong statement that an AI could never be conscious and further that consciousness depends on free will and that free will is incompatible with determinism and that all of these statements are obviously self-evident.

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