# AI Experts Clash Over AP Stylebook's 'No Feelings' Rule

> AI advocates furious after AP stylebook says AIs don't feel
- Title: AI Experts Clash Over AP Stylebook's 'No Feelings' Rule
- Summary: AI advocates furious after AP stylebook says AIs don't feel AP stylebook clarifies AIs lack human emotions, sparking debate among experts
- Keywords: ap stylebook, anthropomorphism, optimus prime, transformers, deepmind, anthropic, openai, strategic futures, millennium problems, ai ethics, language models, Experts
- Source: Futurism — https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-bros-meltdown-feelings
- Author: Frank Landymore
- Published: 2026-09-27T17:02:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ai, ap stylebook, anthropomorphism, optimus prime, transformers, deepmind, anthropic, openai, strategic futures, millennium problems, ai ethics, language models
## AP Stylebook Clarifies
The Associated Press Stylebook states AI systems don't think, feel, want or understand. Avoid language that gives them human traits.

> Artificial intelligence systems do not think, feel, want or understand. Avoid language that gives them human characteristics
## AI Experts React
Alan Rozenshtein from Anthropic called the stylebook's statement a 'completely insane' metaphysical pronouncement.

> I'm not sure a style book should be making such confident metaphysical pronouncements
## DeepMind Philosopher's View
Henry Shevlin from Google DeepMind accused AP of hypocrisy for anthropomorphizing Optimus Prime in Transformers films.

> An AP movie review can tell us Optimus Prime mourns and loves, but readers need protecting from the computer understands
## OpenAI's Defense
OpenAI's Dean Ball argues AIs clearly think and solve complex problems like the Millennium Problems.

> AIs clearly think and understand. If your definition of think excludes entities that can autonomously resolve Millennium Problems, it is your definition that is flawed
## The Real Debate
Philosophers and scientists debate whether AI models truly think or feel, but there's no consensus on sentience.

> It's true that there's some debate among philosophers and scientists over whether AI models think or feel
## Why This Matters
AI advocates are defensive about language that could imply sentience, despite no evidence of actual emotions.

> It's a testament to how defensive, if not cultish, that AI advocates have become that merely suggesting AIs don't think is cause for indignation
## Key takeaway

AP stylebook clarifies AIs lack human emotions, sparking debate among experts