Artificial intelligence may soon feel alive, but that doesn't mean it will be.
Mustafa Suleyman, chief executive officer of Microsoft AI, has warned that the world is on the brink of what he calls "Seemingly Conscious AI", which he defines as systems so advanced they mimic memory, empathy and personality, leading people to believe they are interacting with sentient beings.
In a blog post this week, the DeepMind co-founder cautioned that SCAI could emerge in just two to three years using existing large language models and simple tools. While not actually conscious, these systems could blur psychological boundaries, causing people to form emotional attachments or even advocate for AI "rights". He described this as a growing "psychosis risk".
Industry voices say the warning is timely. Akshay Gugnani, co-founder of Expertia AI, said the real potential of AI lies not in imitating life but in empowering it. "Just as the calculator amplified human capability in its time, today's AI should be seen as a powerful enabler rather than an all-knowing entity. The real opportunity is in building systems that simplify decisions, save time, and unlock opportunities across industries," he told NDTV Profit.
But others stress that human-like interaction has value. Siddharth Bhatia, co-founder of Puch AI and TurboML, noted that many users crave companionship. "People who don't have anyone to talk to don't want to feel like they're ‘chatting with an AI."
"If it feels human, they finally feel heard. But consciousness is the symptom of the soul, and no matter how advanced intelligence becomes, it will always remain artificial," he said.
Suleyman urged developers to focus on creating AI for people, not as people, stressing the need for transparency, regulation, and cultural guardrails before SCAI becomes mainstream.
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