“A Philosopher’s Guide to AI Welfare” by AI Frontiers

Subtitle: Consciousness, sentience, and agency are three ways that something could matter morally. In AI, unlike in animals, they may not come as a package. Jeff Sebo, Professor at New York University — September 17, 2026 As AI systems become more advanced and widespread, people will naturally wonder whether they deserve moral consideration. This is a thorny question, and it involves uncertainty about both ethics and science. For example, which properties are morally significant? Should we focus on consciousness (the capacity for subjective experience), sentience (the capacity for positive and