{
  "id": 14379557,
  "title": "AI can act exactly like a human, but we still don't think it's conscious",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/ai-can-act-exactly-like-a-human-but-we-still-dont-think-its-conscious",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-14T01:41:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ScienceDaily",
    "slug": "sciencedaily",
    "url": "https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/10/261012185017.htm"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) reveals that even when artificial intelligence exhibits human-like behavior, people still struggle to consider it conscious. Despite AI systems increasingly displaying intelligent behavior, such as working together, pursuing independent goals, or appearing self-aware, research suggests that people make a clear distinction between displaying intelligent behavior and possessing a conscious mind. Published in the journal Cognition, the study conducted by Dr. Louis Longin, Dr. Bahador Bahrami, and other researchers reveals that while AI responsiveness influences perceptions of consciousness, identical behavior between humans and AI does not lead people to assign the same level of consciousness. Participants consistently rated humans as more conscious than AI, even when both showed identical behavior. The researchers emphasize the importance of language in shaping perceptions of AI, suggesting that terms like \"awareness\" may blur the distinction between humans and machines, while \"consciousness\" carries deeper implications about subjective experience.",
  "summary": "A new study reveals that people draw a surprisingly sharp line between human consciousness and artificial intelligence, even when both behave identically. Researchers found that participants considered even the most responsive AI less conscious than the least responsive human. Yet when asked about \"awareness\" instead, people judged humans and AI much more similarly.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ScienceDaily Health",
        "title": "AI can act exactly like a human, but we still don't think it's conscious",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/ai-can-act-exactly-like-a-human-but-we-still-dont-think-its-conscious-14383527",
        "published": "2026-10-14T01:41:55.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}