The Russell Conjugations of Intelligence: Why 'Just Matrix Multiplication' Offends Us for Brains but Not for AI
esrtweet · x · 2026-11-03
BackTheBunny's essay 'The Russell Conjugations of Intelligence' examines a linguistic double standard: we happily reduce AI to 'just matrix multiplication' yet recoil when human emotions are described neurochemically.
- The author draws parallels to explaining bee navigation, salmon homing, or puppy play mechanistically — none of which diminishes the animal.
- Core thesis: 'explanation is not disenchantment'; mechanisms are the precondition of meaning, and only mystique — not experience — is lost.
- esrtweet amplifies the thread, adding that bodily reality precedes mental narration and serves as its grounded vessel rather than its negation.
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