We have no idea.
Of course, there’s plenty of behavioral data. Say this phrase, or offer that treat, and this particular dog is likely to act in a certain way.
But our inclinations about what it’s actually like to be a dog are all inventions, reverse-engineered to give us a clue about what they might do next.
“If I were you,” is a pretty useless sentence, particularly for dogs. You’re not them, and you can’t imagine what it’s like.
The same is true for computers and for AI. We make up a story about what the computer wants, expects or thinks. But it’s simply a way to explain our guesses about behavior, not actually a statement about what it’s like to be that device or program.
You’ve probably already guessed (there I am, imagining what it’s like to be you) that the same is true for other humans. We only know for sure what it’s like to be ourselves. Everything else is speculation.
Empathy is essential, but it’s also difficult.
