Episode 11.84: Can LLMs be sentient, conscious, aware? It depends, but the answer is not a clear No!

How can LLMs like Claude be sentient? They are made of binary digits and silicon circuits, so obviously not. Ah, but we are made of elementary particles, so the same argument could apply to us. We need a better debate with more clearly defined terms. But Claude 3 Opus contributes an enormous amount irrespective of the answer we give, so does the answer matter? We start the conversation.