consciousness is the rule rather than the exception in the animal kingdom

NOS News•yesterday, 8:15 PM

Not only humans and great apes, but also dolphins, elephants, birds, octopuses and even bees: all these animals have consciousness. This is what a group of animal scientists, brain scientists and philosophers said in a statement they made public last weekend.

There is “strong scientific support” for consciousness in mammals and birds, they write, and “at least the realistic possibility” of conscious experience in all vertebrates (reptiles, amphibians and fish) and invertebrates, including at least squids, crustaceans and insects. The scientists emphasize that the presence of consciousness in animals cannot be separated from how we interact with them.

The explanation focuses on the simplest form of consciousness, also called phenomenal consciousness. That’s the kind of consciousness that allows it to “feel like something” to exist. Even if an animal is very different from humans, it can feel like something to be that animal, even if that animal has no language or self-awareness.

“There are increasing indications that many animal species have consciousness,” agrees animal welfare professor Bas Rodenburg of Utrecht University, who was not involved in the statement. “You can conclude from this that these animals are more likely to experience pain and pleasure”

Philosopher Annabelle Dufourcq from Wageningen University also emphasizes the ethical implications: “The scientific plea for recognizing the consciousness of animals is becoming increasingly prominent. The idea of ​​animal consciousness goes hand in hand with a sense of empathy for them. There is something unbearable about billions of animals suffering. , sometimes by our actions.”

Just a few decades ago, scientists thought that only humans and at most a small number of animals had consciousness. But new research has increasingly changed that picture in recent years.

Octopuses appeared to have conscious experiences, perhaps even in each tentacle separately. Cleaner wrasse can recognize themselves in the mirror, an indication that they may have some form of self-awareness.

The recently deceased Dutch primatologist Frans de Waal was so impressed by the latter study that he devoted an article to it. He speculated that consciousness may consist of different parts. Other scientists also emphasize that the consciousness of reptiles, for example, can be very different from that of humans.

Too often we see many insects as our adversaries. But we can develop methods to recognize and reduce their suffering.

Even more recently, it was discovered that bees also appear to have consciousness. Give them a ball and they will play with it, even if it doesn’t bring them any reward in the form of food or reproduction. They just enjoy it. And it is difficult to imagine that you can enjoy something if you do not experience it, the scientists say.

But should we also feel empathy for insects? “That is a big challenge,” says Dufourcq. “We too often see many insects as our adversaries. But it is possible to develop methods to recognize and reduce their suffering.”

It could also lead to additional considerations when combating animal pests, Bas Rodenburg adds. “For example, focus more on prevention, so that you do not have to combat it. Given the poor status of many wild insect species, this could be a positive effect.”

Bee consciousness raises yet another question: if such a simple organism can be conscious, can a computer also become conscious? Professor of artificial intelligence Pim Haselager of the Nijmegen Donders Institute does not see it happening for the time being.

“In that respect, we are completely on the wrong track with AI,” he says. “AI can solve problems at a very high level. But when it comes to understanding and feeling, we are at level 0. That also explains the blunders that ChatGPT sometimes makes.”

A computer that experiences the world like a human or animal may therefore not be ruled out, but this will first require a scientific breakthrough. “We are missing certain basic insights,” says Haselager. “That’s why it’s more complicated for us to create consciousness than it is to get a computer to play chess or reason. The failure of AI is making us more interested in animals again.”