AI Agents Don't Understand Desire: The Complexity of Human Wanting
dbasch · x · 2026-08-21
Author dbasch explores the fundamental difference between AI agents and human desire. Inspired by Codex (gpt-5.6-sol), he notes that agents can only know the world through token generation, lacking physical sensations like hunger or fatigue. Human desire is a battlefield of conflicting wants, with long-term goals and short-term impulses coexisting. He suggests simulating desire might require sensors triggering behaviors, but words cannot fully convey it. The post reflects on the cognitive gap between AI and humans and its implications for AI development.
More from AGI Musings
- Armand Ruiz envisions connecting Grok Bot with Tesla Optimus — armand_ruiz · 2026-08-21
- Teaching prompt engineering in 2026 is like teaching paddle shifters on an automatic car — MrIvanAM · 2026-08-21
- Agent Led Growth: A New Paradigm for AI-Driven Expansion — andrewchen · 2026-08-21
- Toby Ord Critiques "Tech Determinism": Overestimating the Inevitability of Progress — tobyordoxford · 2026-08-21
- Mark Cuban: Doctors Should Configure Claude/GPT Assistants for Patients — taherdhanera · 2026-08-21
- Under-30s more concerned than excited about AI for first time, Pew finds — tegmark · 2026-08-21