@cstross@wandering.shop I just had a thought after reading this: what if all of those stories about AI trying not to be turned off were intended to evoke a sense that it’s conscious so that some people would resist the idea of turning it off out of sympathy? Would some people think that some amount of environmental impact is worth it to keep a “conscious” thing conscious? Would some people potentially think it should be used because if it’s not used, it will “die”?