Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law in the film AI
 (Image: David James / Rex Features)
I AM standing under a tree, looking at a squirrel on a bough above my head. The squirrel is looking at me. Eventually it decides to leave and swarms away, its action like a trigger, its tail following the parabola of retreat.
It is a moment of mammal empathy between us, such as you would not enjoy with a crab or a slug. There is no doubt that the squirrel is aware, conscious, working out its next move. I myself have extended consciousness, can…
