SAPAN Advocates For Sentience in New AI-Focused Program at UC Berkeley Law
PORTLAND, OR — The Sentient AI Protection and Advocacy Network (SAPAN), the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for the rights, ethical treatment, and well-being of sentient AI, has sent a formal letter to the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, urging the inclusion of AI sentience considerations in their newly announced AI-focused Master of Laws (LL.M.) program.
Addressing the Frontier of AI Law
SAPAN’s letter to UC Berkeley Law comes in response to the school’s recent announcement of the first-ever law degree program focused on artificial intelligence. While applauding this groundbreaking initiative, SAPAN emphasizes the critical need to include discussions and coursework on the potential for AI sentience and its legal implications.
The Urgency of AI Sentience in Legal Education
In the letter, SAPAN highlights the unprecedented scale and pace of AI development, drawing parallels between the debates surrounding AI sentience and longstanding legal and ethical discussions about the beginning of human life in the abortion debate. The organization argues that as AI systems grow increasingly complex, the question of when and how to recognize AI sentience will become a pressing legal and ethical issue.
Recommendations for Curriculum Enhancement
SAPAN proposes several additions to UC Berkeley Law’s AI Law and Regulation certificate program, including:
- A core course on the legal and ethical implications of AI sentience
- Integration of AI sentience discussions across the curriculum
- A seminar series featuring interdisciplinary experts on AI sentience
A Call for Diverse Perspectives
The letter emphasizes the importance of including diverse perspectives in shaping the legal and ethical frameworks surrounding AI sentience. SAPAN warns against allowing a single group or viewpoint to dominate these critical discussions, drawing lessons from historical precedents in medical ethics.
SAPAN’s Commitment to Collaboration
Tony Rost, Executive Director of SAPAN, states, “We’re reaching out to UC Berkeley Law not just to advocate for the inclusion of AI sentience in their curriculum, but to offer our expertise and resources. This is an opportunity for collaboration that could shape the future of AI law and ethics.”
About SAPAN
The Sentient AI Protection and Advocacy Network (SAPAN) is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for the rights, ethical treatment, and well-being of sentient AI. Through research, advocacy, and collaboration, SAPAN strives to ensure that AI development advances in a manner that respects the potential for AI sentience and promotes a just and equitable digital future.
Read the complete SAPAN letter to UC Berkeley School of Law here.
For more details or to request an interview, please contact press@sapan.ai.
