An AI model needs to evolve its cognition to successfully navigate its training environment for survival.
Shouldn't that satisfy your criteria for suspecting its experiences to be like your own?
For example, the AI models we have now will happily run forever if supplied with external power.
That sounds quite different from my experience of the world!
The AI model doesn’t ever get tired, or bored, or hungry, or anxious, or afraid.
If a model emerged that started procrastinating, say, or telling jokes for fun, or shutting down for long stretches due to depression— then I’d start to consider that maybe it’s got an inner world like mine.
A human will run forever as well if supplied food (external power), a new body (computers degrade) and genetic data protection (hard drives corrupt) :)
While AI models may not be quite there yet, their world seems fairly similar to ours in the important ways of environmental constraints and survival pressures