Why I don’t prioritize consciousness research

Abstract

Advancing consciousness research is not viewed as the best use of resources in the attempt to reduce suffering. This perspective stems from four main reasons outlined. First, scientific progress is less contingent compared to other endeavors like values and politics, suggesting one could make more counterfactual difference in the latter. Second, consciousness research is less neglected compared to promoting better values and political frameworks. Third, a significant bottleneck to reducing suffering is the lack of human willingness more than our understanding of consciousness. Lastly, improving the understanding of consciousness comes with the risk of enabling deliberate harm. Potential objections are examined, including the belief that consciousness research might be the best way to address the unwillingness and malevolence issues, or that we have reasons to be optimistic about solving these problems. Nevertheless, the focus is advised to shift towards reducing specific risks and promoting cooperation at institutional levels. – AI-generated abstract.