Sacrificing Humans for Insects and AI: A Critical Review
 of Jonathan Birch, The Edge of Sentience,
Jeff Sebo, The Moral Circle,
and Webb Keane, Animals, Robots, Gods

Eric Schwitzgebel and Walter Sinnott-Armstrong

in draft

Abstract: Scientists increasingly take seriously the possibility that insects are sentient and that AI systems might soon be sentient. If sentience or consciousness is central to moral standing, this raises the possibility that insects, in the aggregate, or near-future AI systems (either as individuals or in the aggregate) might have sufficient moral importance that their interests outweigh human interests. The result could be a reorientation of ethics that radically deprioritizes humanity. This critical review examines three recent books on these issues: Jonathan Birch's The Edge of Sentience, Jeff Sebo's The Moral Circle, and Webb Keane's Animals, Robots, Gods. All three books present arguments and principles that, if interpreted at face value, appear radical. However, all three books downplay those radical implications, suggesting relatively conservative solutions.

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