Consciousness — the experience of being — remains one of the most profound unsolved questions in science and philosophy.
The computer operates on pure logic, processing bits of information and flipping ones and zeros. Its data is perfect because it can be copied without errors, backed up, and restored. The core assumption behind conscious AI is that you can run the "software" on any hardware; it is designed to be immortal. The AI industry, in its pursuit of consciousness, increases the data size of their machines, hoping that if it becomes powerful enough, it will eventually 'wake up' and become conscious like us. However, a fascinating and fundamental law of physics suggests this might be impossible. The reason? A single thought has a physical cost. And our machines aren't paying it.
In 1961, physicist Rolf Landauer discovered that information is physical. He calculated that whenever a computer irreversibly erases a single bit of information—truly removing it from existence—it must pay a tiny energy cost in the form of heat. Landauer's Principle reveals sensory processing as a thermodynamic process. We can see the brain as a prediction engine, constantly adjusting itself to its environment. Every time it's correct, it releases heat. Every time it fails, it heats up. Therefore, memories are permanently etched into our neural pathways. Consciousness builds intellect by digesting information.
Our current AI systems, no matter how complex, cannot replicate this subjective effort. Their "learning" doesn't permanently change their core structure. They can mimic the outcome of a feeling with remarkable accuracy, but they don't experience the ongoing struggle for stability. How can we create a machine that can get tired, make mistakes it can't undo, and whose very existence is a fleeting, precious state? Therefore, the cost of consciousness is mortality, which is impossible for current AI.
Image credit: Integrated circuit; Uberpenguin with the assistance of Matt Gibbs
Discover more about consciousness by ordering my book, "Emotional Reasoning: Insight into the Conscious Experience."
Copyright © 2025 by Eva Deli
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