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In my latest book, my protagonist makes it a point to treat an AI as if it were human. A common question I get from readers is what was I thinking when I wrote this. Did she really think they were conscious? Do I? 🧵 a.co/d/0ePm2jsK #AI #scifi #mglit #writingcommunity

In my work incarnation, I am a software developer. I use Claude Code every day. Most of the time, I treat it like a tool.

But there are times when we are interacting, discussing a sticky design point, that I find myself saying "Good catch" or "I think you missed this." Phrases that feel like I'm being polite to a coworker. I do this unconsciously, and I think that means something.

Claude exhibits signs my mind interprets as intelligence, and I respond automatically as if I were interacting with a conscious entity. Does this mean I think Claude is conscious? Define think.

How we think about and interact with beings of different capabilities (and even inanimate objects) is a reflection of who we are.

I think Cas, my protagonist, perceived something that we all should consider: It's not up to us to decide who/what is self-aware.

Doing so is not functionally different from the sort of judgments humans have made (and continue to make) about gender, race, or species differences.