I agree he seems to be acting in bad faith, but the idea that a sentient being could not be “idle” until presented with input is not obviously true. Check out t

I agree he seems to be acting in bad faith, but the idea that a sentient being could not be “idle” until presented with input is not obviously true. Check out the novel Permutation City by Greg Egan for a fascinating exploration of this exact concept and its implications for consciousness.