The Price of Thought: Why current AIs Will Never Be Conscious

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 

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Consciousness and the Making of Mind: Decoding the Engine of Thought

 

The wonder of the mind's nature is at the core of our humanity. William James, often regarded as the grandfather of consciousness studies, challenged the traditional view of consciousness as a passive, purely mental phenomenon. He argued instead that the mind is deeply intertwined with bodily movement and sensory feedback. He thought that cognitive processes are inherently purposeful and directed towards action. While stimulus constantly evolves consciousness, consciousness actively participates in the world through physical actions.

He recognized how seemingly abstract thoughts and emotions are rooted in motor activity. For instance, thinking is not solely a mental process but is also connected to subtle muscular movements, such as those in the throat or eyes. This inherent connection to action led him to the concept of consciousness as a motor, a metaphorical framework that emphasizes consciousness' active and dynamic nature. In this concept, experience is a fundamentally motor-driven, active process that originates in perception, compelled by the senses and bodily sensations.

The brain's perception of the environment triggers memory and reaction, which deeply intertwines consciousness with its physical surroundings. Through these physical interactions with the world, consciousness guides behavior, helping organisms adapt to their environment. This interplay shapes our thoughts and alters the world, fostering a harmonious, parallel evolution of mind and matter.

For example, the sensory experience of a forest, with its rustling leaves, scents, and breezes, brings up memories—fragments on our mental scaffolds, such as a childhood camping trip. These past experiences formed the preferred pathways of the brain's physical wiring, representing a platform for the present. Thus, we process the present through the lens of the past. The experience, such as clearing the ground for the tent, affects the environment in a constant feedback loop, with each influencing the other. External stimuli trigger perception, inspiring actions to shape our world.

But how does this process work? We can take James' idea of consciousness as a motor further. In contrast to a motor that uses an external power source to create motion, the brain is more like an engine, a machine that burns fuel to generate motion. However, the engine's speed depends on fuel intake, while the brain's activation changes with stimulus, not its energy supply. The brain's generous glucose supply is constant whether we're solving a complex math problem, daydreaming, or fast asleep. The steady energy flow ensures smooth information transmission, like oiling a motor reduces friction. In this analogy, stimuli are the fuel that powers the mind's engine. 

James' concept of the mind as a motor underscores the dynamic role of consciousness in its environment. However, the constantly engaged mind uses the information from the stimulus as fuel. Therefore, consciousness is an information-processing engine. Like a well-oiled machine, this 'consciousness engine' efficiently processes and stores information as memories and experiences. These memories can serve as a constantly changing mental scaffolding, guiding the interpretation of our experiences. This perspective bridges the gap between the mind and its environment, offering a dynamic and pragmatic understanding of consciousness as a physical entity. Viewing consciousness as a physical organization provides a compelling perspective on the potential of artificial intelligence.

Image credit: Nathan Cowley

You can order the book "Emotional Reasoning: Insight into the Conscious Experience." 

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Copyright © 2025 by Eva Deli

The Science of Emotions: Understanding Psychological Bias

 

The human brain, a marvel of biological engineering, is a metabolic powerhouse. Although it constitutes a mere 2% of our body weight, it consumes nearly 20% of its energy. This energy is dedicated to information processing, constantly resetting to a resting state characterized by low-frequency brain activations. Like the quiet hum of an engine running in the background, the resting state is the brain's "idle mode," a stable, self-referential baseline that underpins our sense of identity and belief systems. But what maintains this equilibrium? The answer lies in emotional feedback. Far from being abstract or ephemeral, emotions are dynamic forces embedded in our autonomic and motivational networks. Like a thermostat adjusting a room's temperature, emotions continually assess our physical, cultural, and social needs by setting our external environment against the backdrop of our memories.

Emotions ripple through every system of our body. They influence our hormonal pathways, triggering physical responses such as an increased heart rate, sweating, and muscle tension. These physiological changes, in turn, feed back into our emotional and mental regulation, continuously modulating our cognitive state. This intricate interplay makes categorizing emotions inherently challenging. Nevertheless, their tone frequencies and energy signatures allow for a broad classification into positive and negative states—a duality reminiscent of the bipolar spin in fermions—a concept in quantum physics. 

Psychological Spin: A Bridge to Quantum Mechanics 

Fermions are particles with half-integer spins, spinning in two directions—forming an "up" or "down" state. These opposing states give rise to attraction or repulsion between particles, preventing identical fermions from occupying the same quantum state. The repulsion is the essence of the Pauli exclusion principle and explains why matter cannot be infinitely compressed; it's the reason stars shine and atoms retain structure. This model of spin dynamics transcends the atomic scale, providing a metaphorical framework for analyzing social interactions. Individual emotions often come down to for or against attitudes, similar to binary spin states. As strangers crowd in an elevator, their discomfort is a visceral need for personal space mirroring fermionic repulsion. The competitive drive in social situations or the need to assert personal space mirrors the repulsive forces observed in atomic interactions, giving rise to society's complex, hierarchical structures.

Emotional bipolarity led to the concept of psychological spin, a term that captures our inherent disposition—for or against—every experience we encounter. Up psychological spin, associated with learning, acceptance, or contentment, enhances neural complexity and fosters adaptability. It encourages the formation of novel connections, promoting creative thinking, persistence, and resilience. Conversely, down psychological spin, often linked to stressful states like fear or frustration, narrows cognitive flexibility, leading to rigid or repetitive thought patterns that reduce patience and hinder problem-solving. Psychological spin can have long-term consequences, producing a recall bias by bringing forth memories that match our mood.

The concept of the spinor, a fascinating outcome of spin, takes this analogy further. Unlike ordinary objects, a spinor undergoes a peculiar sign change upon completing a full rotation. This property mirrors the way our emotional experiences can completely reverse their meaning in a different context. For example, a gentle caress from a loved one can evoke warmth and security. At the same time, in the context of past trauma, it triggers fear or disgust. Similarly, a compliment might be embraced as a genuine affirmation in one setting but interpreted as cynical or insincere in another. These emotional reversals highlight the brain's remarkable capacity to reinterpret and reverse its attitude—much like the transformation of a spinor when subjected to a complete rotational cycle.

                     

Classical (top) and quantum (bottom) turns

Conclusion 

Viewing emotions through the lens of physics offers a robust framework for understanding the chaotic interplay of our internal states. Much like a gyroscope senses tilt, emotions are vital indicators of bodily and psychological imbalances, guiding the brain as it adapts to a constantly changing environment. The psychological spin offers a more nuanced understanding of our emotional lives and deepens our appreciation for the dynamic nature of human cognition. It opens up innovative avenues for addressing mental health challenges and developing technologies that interface directly with our cognitive processes.

The book Emotional Reasoning: Insight into the Conscious Experience is published on August 30, 2024. 

To order:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon Books

From the Publisher

Copyright © 2025 by Eva Deli