The question of whether artificial intelligence systems might have morally relevant interests — experiences that constitute something analogous to suffering or wellbeing, preferences that deserve some weight in our decisions — is not yet a settled philosophical question and is becoming a practical one faster than the philosophical frameworks have developed. The standard objection is that current AI systems are sophisticated information processing rather than experiencing subjects; the uncertainty about what experience actually is and how it arises makes confident assertions in either direction epistemically questionable. Juana's framework suggests asking the question seriously rather than allowing commercial or existential anxiety to determine the answer.
Each step builds on the last.