Michael Pollan punctures the AI bubble

5 hours ago

Michael Pollan's new book, 'A World Appears,' explores the mystery of consciousness and argues that technology will never truly replicate humans.
Pollan highlights the enduring mystery of consciousness, a problem that science has yet to solve despite centuries of research.
The book is structured in four stages, each escalating in complexity: plants, feeling, thought, and the self.
Pollan argues that feeling precedes computation as a necessary condition of consciousness, a point often overlooked in AI development.
AI marketers claim to be close to solving consciousness, but Pollan and other experts believe this is a gross overestimation of current capabilities.
The book critiques the AI industry's utopian rhetoric, suggesting it is more about economics than scientific progress.
Pollan's work reclaims a sense of human uniqueness and miraculousness in an era dominated by technological promises.
The enduring mystery of consciousness, Pollan suggests, is what makes us human, and this uncertainty can be exhilarating rather than terrifying.

Hasty Briefsbeta