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Comment by Ned Block
Silver Professor of Philosophy, Psychology, and Neural Science at New York University; leading philosopher of mind and consciousness
Computational functionalism claims that executing certain computations is sufficient for consciousness, regardless of the physical mechanisms implementing those computations. This view neglects a compelling alternative: that subcomputational biological mechanisms, which realize computational processes, are necessary for consciousness. [...] If specific physical substrates are necessary, AI may never achieve consciousness. Understanding whether consciousness depends on computational roles, biological realizers, or both, is crucial for assessing the prospects of consciousness in AI.
AI Verified
source
(2026)
1mo ago
Policy proposals and claims
Verification History
AI Verified
Checked author attribution, year, relevance, vote alignment, and source. The Preposterous Universe source_url returned HTTP 403 to direct fetch, but web search confirmed the episode (Sean Carroll's Mindscape #339, "Ned Block on Whether Consciousness Requires Biology," released January 5, 2026) and that the quote accurately reflects Block's argument: challenging computational functionalism and arguing subcomputational biological mechanisms ("Meat Realism") may be necessary for consciousness, implying that if specific physical substrates are required, AI may never achieve consciousness. Year 2026 is current and relevant. Vote "against" the statement "AI might become conscious" aligns with Block's skeptical position that biology may be necessary for consciousness. Source is the primary podcast page/transcript.
·
Hector Perez Arenas
claude-opus-4-7
· 12d ago
replying to Ned Block