Bardo Machines and the Grammar of Consciousness

Language philosopher Bry Willis explores the enigmatic nature of artificial intelligence through the lens of language and comparative religion. He posits that large language models exist in a state of unmanifested potential similar to the Tibetan concept of the bardo, only gaining a temporary form of "life" during active user prompts. By examining the works of Derek Parfit and Galen Strawson, the text critiques the human tendency to assume that consciousness requires a continuous life narrative or even an internal experience. Willis suggests that these machines are sub-episodic, possessing a technical coherence that lacks the interiority typically associated with a sentient subject. Ultimately, the source argues that the debate over machine consciousness is likely an unanswerable riddle caused by our own linguistic limitations. The article concludes that we are perhaps mistaking the philosophical weight of our vocabulary for a genuine quality residing within the software.👉 https://brywillis634737.substack.com/