Journalist and author Michael Pollan argues that artificial intelligence can simulate thought but cannot achieve consciousness because it lacks embodied feelings such as vulnerability, pain, and mortality. In an interview on NPR’s Fresh Air tied to his new book, A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness, Pollan rejects claims that chatbots possess inner experience and warns that extending moral personhood to machines would misplace ethical concern while billions of people and conscious animals remain neglected. He highlights research suggesting plants have perception-like capabilities and can be “anesthetized,” using such findings to probe the boundaries of awareness. Pollan also cautions that tech platforms are eroding the mental space needed for spontaneous thought, casting human consciousness as the next frontier targeted by companies monetizing attention. The book chronicles his five-year exploration of an enduring scientific mystery and concludes by embracing the wonder of conscious experience rather than a definitive solution.
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