Drop the Word: Why "Awareness" Is What We Actually Mean

This article critiques the philosophical baggage of the word 'consciousness' in AI debates, arguing it hinders clear thinking. The author shares a personal conversation about Claude AI's potential consciousness, then explains why 'awareness' is a more precise and observable term. They describe awareness as emerging between self and other, not confined to a brain or server. The piece references concepts like the hard problem, qualia, and Chinese rooms, advocating for dropping 'consciousness' to have more productive discussions about AI minds.