Data scientist fires back in AI consciousness debate: it's just software, text in text out

gerardsans · x · 2026-10-06

An X exchange on AI consciousness: responding to the criticism that the debate lacks any definition of consciousness and amounts to "ontological laziness," data scientist Gerard Sans takes a hard line — AI is software with no self, no body, no lived experience; text in, text out, it isn't alive, and "there's no debate, only lack of technical understanding." His interlocutor replies that it depends on the definition. A snapshot of the standard fault lines in the AI consciousness argument.

Related event: AI Consciousness Debate: Gerard Sans vs Daniel Ospina Ends Without Consensus(7 posts)→

Original post →

More from AGI Musings

AGI Musings channel →