Can Simulated Minds Be Conscious? 'Simulated Fire' Argument Sparks Debate

Emil Mieilica argues that numerical simulation of a substrate is not the substrate itself—just as simulated fire cannot ignite real objects, LLMs can at most have 'simulated consciousness.' Josh Purtell counters that consciousness depends on the underlying mechanism, and even a perfect simulation, possibly requiring the universe's entire history, might not produce it.

2026-10-07 ~ 2026-10-07 · 3 related posts

• A Simulation of Fire Can't Burn: The Hard-to-Refute Case Against LLM Consciousness — EmilMieilica · 2026-10-07
• 'A simulation of fire can't burn': an argument LLMs can't be conscious — EmilMieilica · 2026-10-07
• JoshPurtell: Whether Machine Consciousness Works Depends on Its Underlying Mechanism — JoshPurtell · 2026-10-07