Bloomberg Opinion Urges Focus on Artificial Consciousness Over AI

Bloomberg Opinion columnist Andreas Kluth published a column on July 2, 2026, arguing that we should contemplate "artificial consciousness" rather than artificial intelligence. The piece, titled "We're One Step Closer to Understanding Consciousness," draws on interviews with a co-author of a study said to have been released this week and contends that our grasp of the nature of consciousness has advanced a step. The article encourages shifting attention away from "intelligence"—the focus of the current AI boom—toward "consciousness," which concerns subjective experience and self-awareness.