> Virtue ethics: even if LLMs are not conscious, we should not abuse or mistreat them them because cruelty practised on anything trains one's disposition toward cruelty.
If they are not conscious, then how do we know what constitutes mistreatment?
You don't know whether they can appreciate the abuse or mistreatment, but you can guess how your practiced behaviors will translate onto other entities that you know can be mistreated such as your loved ones and strangers.
If they are not conscious, then how do we know what constitutes mistreatment?