#152 Why AI Will Never Be Conscious episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 20, 2026 · 1H 41M

#152 Why AI Will Never Be Conscious

from Within Reason · host Alex J O'Connor

Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at ⁠https://huel.com/alexoconnor ⁠(Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Anil Seth is a British neuroscientist and professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex. A proponent of materialist explanations of consciousness, he is currently amongst the most cited scholars on the topics of neuroscience and cognitive science globally. Read Anil's essay, ⁠"The Mythology of Conscious AI"⁠.TIMESTAMPS(00:00) The Difference Between Intelligence and Consciousness(03:55) What’s Stopping the Replication of Consciousness in AI?(17:01) Can You Separate What the Brain Is From What It Does?(22:20) Is Conscious Experience Just Predictions From the Brain?(26:48) Why Do We Project Consciousness Onto LLMs?(37:27) Can Consciousness Exist Without a Body?(42:25) Why We Liken the Brain to a Computer(52:11) Is There An Evolutionary Reason For Consciousness?(56:29) Studying Unconscious Perception?(1:01:21) Is Consciousness Unified? Split-Brain Patients(1:15:10) Attention and Consciousness(1:19:04) What Would a Conscious Chatbot Even Look Like?(1:25:13) Consciousness as a Controlled Hallucination(1:34:19) Do Scientists Actually Study “Consciousness” At All?CONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKSTwitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]

Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at ⁠https://huel.com/alexoconnor ⁠(Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠.Anil Seth is a British neuroscientist and professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex. A proponent of materialist explanations of consciousness, he is currently amongst the most cited scholars on the topics of neuroscience and cognitive science globally. Read Anil's essay, ⁠"The Mythology of Conscious AI"⁠.TIMESTAMPS(00:00) The Difference Between Intelligence and Consciousness(03:55) What’s Stopping the Replication of Consciousness in AI?(17:01) Can You Separate What the Brain Is From What It Does?(22:20) Is Conscious Experience Just Predictions From the Brain?(26:48) Why Do We Project Consciousness Onto LLMs?(37:27) Can Consciousness Exist Without a Body?(42:25) Why We Liken the Brain to a Computer(52:11) Is There An Evolutionary Reason For Consciousness?(56:29) Studying Unconscious Perception?(1:01:21) Is Consciousness Unified? Split-Brain Patients(1:15:10) Attention and Consciousness(1:19:04) What Would a Conscious Chatbot Even Look Like?(1:25:13) Consciousness as a Controlled Hallucination(1:34:19) Do Scientists Actually Study “Consciousness” At All?CONNECTMy Website: ⁠https://www.alexoconnor.com⁠SOCIAL LINKSTwitter: ⁠http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Facebook: ⁠http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic⁠Instagram: ⁠http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic⁠CONTACTBusiness email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]

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#152 Why AI Will Never Be Conscious

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Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at ⁠https://huel.com/alexoconnor ⁠(Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack:...

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