Microsoft AI Chief Mustafa Suleyman Calls the Idea of Conscious AI ‘Absurd’: Report

Nov 3, 2025 - 14:00
Microsoft AI Chief Mustafa Suleyman Calls the Idea of Conscious AI ‘Absurd’: Report
Microsoft’s AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, has dismissed the idea that artificial intelligence can ever be conscious, calling such research “the wrong question.” Speaking at the AfroTech Conference, he said AI cannot experience pain or emotions, and only simulates them. Suleyman, a long-time advocate for “humanist AI,” argued that since AI lacks a pain network, it cannot suffer or deserve rights like humans.