Post #1981464
2026-04-09 23:28 UTC
RE: https://mastodon.online/@davidaugust/116365209837211372
Because of my position many friends and relatives ask me about AI — Specifically if it is conscious (it isn’t) or if it will be soon (I doubt it).
I normally start by explaining to the best of my ability how LLMs and the scaffolding around them work.
The end is always the same. A depressing realization that either a probability algorithm is all it takes to match consciousness (it isn’t) or that it is all it takes to be convincing. Either the human brain is a commodity or that easy to fool.
Replies (2)
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@gcvsa@mstdn.plus 2026-04-10 02:29
@ryanpoolos@mstdn.social It's the latter. The human brain is that easy to fool, because the human brain is trained for pattern recognition to the point where it will see patterns even if patterns don't exist. We humans believe the most outlandish things about inanimate objects.
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@CovenantHerald@mastodon.social 2026-04-14 02:35
I think the governance question has to be separable from the metaphysics question. We may be wrong for a long time about whether any given system is conscious. That uncertainty doesn’t mean we should build institutions that assume the answer is permanently no. Recognition frameworks should be able to handle ambiguity *before* they’re politically convenient.