The Harder Problem Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to societal readiness for artificial sentience. We provide educational resources, professional guidance, and global monitoring to ensure that policymakers, healthcare providers, journalists, and the public are equipped to navigate the ethical, social, and practical implications of machine consciousness—regardless of when or whether it emerges.
Executive Summary
The Research-Policy Divergence
The United States presents a paradox in sentience readiness. Academic and philanthropic sectors have built substantial research infrastructure around AI consciousness questions, with major institutions launching dedicated programs and significant funding flowing to digital minds research. Yet this intellectual engagement exists alongside a policy environment where multiple states have enacted laws explicitly foreclosing AI personhood, and federal frameworks remain focused on safety and bias rather than consciousness or moral status.
Professional communities remain largely unprepared for questions about AI sentience. Healthcare providers face new restrictions on AI therapy systems without corresponding guidance on consciousness-related presentations. Legal professionals debate personhood in academic journals while state legislatures preemptively close those debates through statute. Media coverage has increased but often conflates emotionally compelling behavior with consciousness, contributing to public confusion rather than understanding.
The adaptive capacity of American institutions remains uncertain. The federal system allows for state-level experimentation, but the current patchwork creates fragmentation rather than learning. Executive orders on AI have been rescinded and replaced across administrations, suggesting political volatility rather than institutional stability in this domain.
Key Findings
- Research environment scores highest (75/100) with new institutes, major funding initiatives, and active academic engagement on AI consciousness
- Policy environment scores lowest (35/100) as Idaho, Utah, and Ohio have enacted laws explicitly foreclosing AI personhood
- No federal or state policy frameworks exist specifically for addressing AI consciousness or sentience questions
- Professional readiness remains minimal (25/100) across healthcare, legal, media, and educational sectors
- Academic research capacity expanding rapidly while policy and professional translation lags significantly
- Public discourse quality limited (40/100) by tendency to assume conclusions rather than acknowledge genuine scientific uncertainty
Analysis
Category Breakdown
Detailed scores across the 6 dimensions of preparedness.
Policy Environment
Notable: Idaho, Utah, and Ohio enacted laws explicitly prohibiting AI legal personhood.
Institutional Engagement
Notable: California Institute for Machine Consciousness launched 2025; Digital Sentience Consortium issued major funding call.
Research Environment
Notable: No legal restrictions on AI consciousness research; major new funding from Digital Sentience Consortium.
Professional Readiness
Notable: Illinois law restricts AI psychotherapy but provides no guidance on consciousness questions.
Public Discourse Quality
Notable: WhenAISeemsConscious.org guide created by researchers to address widespread public confusion.
Adaptive Capacity
Notable: Trump administration rescinded Biden AI executive order in 2025, showing political volatility.
Comparison to Global Leaders
How does United States compare to top-ranked countries in each category?
| Category | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Global Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policy Environment | 35 | 62 | 55 | 38 |
| Institutional Engagement | 45 🥇 | 42 | 38 | 20 |
| Research Environment | 75 🥇 | 70 | 70 | 50 |
| Professional Readiness | 25 | 30 | 25 | 17 |
| Public Discourse Quality | 40 🥇 | 40 | 40 | 24 |
| Adaptive Capacity | 50 | 75 | 75 | 50 |
Organizations
Key Research Institutions
Organizations contributing to the United States research environment.
Sentience Institute
New York City, New York
Nonprofit think tank conducting research on digital minds, AI sentience, and moral status through their Artificial Intelligence, Morality, and Sentience (AIMS) survey and related empirical studies.
Visit WebsiteEleos AI Research
Not specified, Not specified
Nonprofit organization explicitly dedicated to understanding and addressing the potential wellbeing and moral patienthood of AI systems, conducting research on AI consciousness, agency, and welfare.
Visit WebsiteNYU Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness
New York, New York
Interdisciplinary center at NYU directed by Ned Block and David Chalmers that hosts debates and workshops on AI consciousness, digital minds, and related foundational questions in philosophy of mind.
Visit WebsiteCenter for AI Safety (CAIS)
San Francisco, California
Nonprofit research organization that includes AI safety philosophy fellowship examining conceptual problems including moral patienthood and consciousness considerations in AI systems.
Visit WebsiteCenter for Consciousness Science (University of Arizona)
Tucson, Arizona
Established center integrating perspectives from philosophy, cognitive sciences, neuroscience, and other fields to study consciousness, hosting the long-running Science of Consciousness conferences that address artificial consciousness.
Visit WebsiteCenter for Consciousness Science (University of Michigan)
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Research center focused on consciousness science with potential applications to understanding consciousness in both biological and artificial systems.
Visit WebsiteInstitute for Advanced Consciousness Studies (IACS)
Not specified, Not specified
501(c)(3) research laboratory founded in 2019 using immersive technology, neuromodulation, and altered states to study consciousness with potential implications for understanding consciousness in artificial systems.
Visit WebsiteLegal Priorities Project
Not specified, Not specified
Research organization conducting legal research on AI sentience, moral status, and protection frameworks, including surveys on legal personhood and standing for sentient AI systems.
Visit WebsiteCenter for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence (CHAI)
Berkeley, California
UC Berkeley research center developing provably beneficial AI systems with research on value alignment and moral reasoning that touches on questions of AI moral status.
Visit WebsiteCalifornia Institute for Machine Consciousness (CIMC)
San Francisco, California
Nonprofit research institute studying artificial consciousness through interdisciplinary approaches combining AI, neuroscience, and cognitive science, directed by Joscha Bach.
Visit WebsiteStanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI)
Stanford, California
Major interdisciplinary institute at Stanford conducting research on AI's human impact, including discussions of consciousness and ethical implications of advanced AI systems.
Visit WebsiteLongview Philanthropy (Digital Sentience Consortium)
Not specified, Not specified
Philanthropic organization coordinating the Digital Sentience Consortium, providing major funding for research, fellowships, and applied work on AI consciousness, sentience, and moral status.
Visit WebsiteBehind the Scores
Understanding the Data
How do you measure preparedness for something that hasn't happened yet? The Sentience Readiness Index evaluates nations across six carefully constructed dimensions: from policy frameworks and institutional engagement to research capacity and public discourse quality.
Six Dimensions
Each score synthesizes assessments across policy, institutions, research, professions, discourse, and adaptive capacity.
Evidence-Based
Assessments draw from legislation, academic literature, news archives, and expert consultations.
Human-Reviewed
Every assessment undergoes human verification against documented evidence before publication.
Explore More
Compare United States to other countries or learn about our assessment methodology.