AI may never think like us… and that could be good news
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A philosophical essay exploring whether AI language models can truly think or be conscious like humans. It examines the ELIZA effect and anthropomorphism, traces the evolutionary origins of human intelligence, and applies classic thought experiments (Chinese Room, Mary's Room, Nagel's bat) to argue that LLMs lack genuine subjective experience. The piece concludes that AI not thinking like us may actually be advantageous — it avoids inheriting human biases, vanity, and moral flaws — while acknowledging that whether future AI systems could develop consciousness remains an open question.
Table of contents
A reflection on language, consciousness, and the limits of machine mindsWhy don’t language models think like us?Why do we imagine that models think like us?Where does our intelligence come from?Get Francisco Rodrigues, PhD’s stories in your inboxWhat insights can philosophy offer on language models?The advantages of language models not being like usWill machines one day think like us?1K Impressions