AGI Could Trigger 'Consciousness Winter'

Erik Hoel argues that if we build highly intelligent AI, elites may conclude consciousness is secondary and starve the field of attention and resources, repeating a century‑ago behaviorist freeze‑out. He says today’s bottleneck isn’t data or tools but a shortage of strong theories, risking a retreat from first‑person questions just as AI advances. — This flips the common assumption that AI progress will deepen interest in consciousness, suggesting policy and funding may pivot away from mind science precisely when it matters.