What are Thoughts, and Can AI Really Think?
What exactly are thoughts, and can machines ever truly think? Philosophers have debated this for centuries—are thoughts simply patterns of brain activity, or is there something more beyond the physical? Modern neuroscience supports the idea that thoughts are brain states, meaning AI could potentially replicate them. But the opposing view—dualism—argues that thoughts are non-physical, making true machine consciousness impossible.
Dr. Sam Baron, Associate Professor in the Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne, joined us to explore these questions. He discussed the challenges of defining thoughts, the mind-body problem, and whether AI can ever develop genuine consciousness. While machines can now mimic human thought and emotional responses, the question remains—are they truly thinking or just processing data?
Article on The Conversation: Are our thoughts ‘real’? Here’s what philosophy says
