Philosopher argues the 'brain as computer' metaphor is a fatal scientific error
round · x · 2026-11-10
Philosopher Dorothea Olkowski contends the foundational metaphor of neuroscience and AI — brain as hardware, mind as software — may be a fatal scientific error:
- If true, conscious AI would be inevitable; but she argues consciousness emerges not from cold cortical calculation but from the ancient brainstem, steeped in hormones, emotion and bodily chemistry.
- A living chemical signalling system cannot be reduced to binary logic, undermining the premise that conscious AI is inevitable.
Related event: Philosopher challenges the 'brain as computer' metaphor of mind(2 posts)→
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