Would a self-replicating nanobot computer be conscious? Pushback on Anil Seth
zetalyrae · x · 2026-09-20
Responding to Anil Seth's 'biological naturalism' argument (consciousness may hinge on autopoiesis — living cells regulating, repairing, and sustaining themselves), a viral repost proposes a thought experiment: a computer built from self-replicating nanomechanical microbots could be autopoietic, yet would compute no differently than a regular machine. The author argues Seth would still deny it consciousness — suggesting Seth's real criterion is being 'wet and squishy' protein-based, and that invoking autopoiesis merely lends his view false rigor.
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