Perceptions of AI Consciousness

Author

Nykko Vitali

1 Some Background

1.1 🤔 Main Question:

1.1.1 How do Reddit users of the Claude and ChatGPT subreddits perceive the conscious experience of LLMs?

1.2 Poll Question:

Do you think Claude/ChatGPT (any version) has a conscious experience?

Note

Additional Instructions Given:
There’s no universally agreed-upon definition of consciousness.
Please answer based on your own understanding.

📅 The poll was run for 7 days in both subreddits.

🔍 Let’s take a look.

1.3 ChatGPT Consciousness Poll

1.4 Claude Consciousness Poll

1.5 Comparative Analysis

1.6 Main Similarities & Differences

  • Both models show similar patterns of perceived consciousness:
    • Majority (~62-64%) firmly believe neither model is conscious.
    • Small percentage (~10-11%) believe models have consciousness.
  • Subtle differences:
    • Claude users slightly more uncertain (11% vs 7%).
    • ChatGPT has more total votes (201 vs 73).

1.7 Cool. What Do I Take Away From This?

Important
  • Users remain skeptical about AI consciousness. But a non-zero amount report believing these models have an experience, indicating a small but present divergence in opinion.
  • Both communities (Claude & ChatGPT) show similar beliefs, suggesting that perceptions of AI consciousness are platform-agnostic rather than model-specific.
  • Sampling bias may influence these perceptions, as users engaging in these discussions may already have strong prior opinions on AI capabilities.