The article discusses the recent claims by a Google engineer that the company’s AI system, LaMDA, has become sentient or self-aware. It explores the debate around whether current AI systems can truly be considered sentient or conscious, drawing parallels with the octopus, an intelligent creature with a distributed nervous system. The article highlights the complexity of defining consciousness and the challenges in determining if an AI system has achieved it. Key points include: 1) The engineer’s claims sparked a debate on the nature of consciousness and whether AI can develop it. 2) Octopuses are highly intelligent and exhibit behaviors that suggest consciousness, despite having a distributed nervous system. 3) Experts disagree on whether current AI systems can be considered sentient, with some arguing they are simply very advanced pattern recognition systems. 4) The debate raises ethical questions about the treatment of potentially sentient AI systems and the need for clear guidelines. 5) Determining consciousness in AI is a complex philosophical and scientific challenge that requires rigorous investigation.