Mathematician Calls Trillion-Parameter Chatbots Mathematical Illusions, Not Conscious Entities
Updated
Updated · Slate · May 25
Mathematician Calls Trillion-Parameter Chatbots Mathematical Illusions, Not Conscious Entities
2 articles · Updated · Slate · May 25
Summary
Trillion-parameter AI chatbots are still just formulas, a mathematician argues, saying systems like ChatGPT and Claude only map prompts to outputs rather than think or feel.
Muybridge’s 1870s horse photos provide the analogy: rapid sequences can create a convincing illusion of motion, just as rapid calculations can create a convincing illusion of consciousness.
Even reasoning models and multi-bot systems that appear to deliberate for minutes or interact autonomously are described as chains of discrete prompts and responses, not continuous inner experience.
The argument targets a widening public debate over whether current AI could become conscious, contending that inspecting the machinery resolves the question in the same way film never created living horses.