The Abstraction Fallacy: Can AI Be Conscious?
April 21, 2026Posted by Federico Ulfo
The Abstraction Fallacy: Why AI Can Simulate But Not Instantiate Consciousness — Can AI be conscious?
Computational functionalism claims consciousness comes from abstract computation alone, independent of physical substrate. This piece argues that's a mistake — the "Abstraction Fallacy." Computation isn't intrinsic to physics; it's a human-imposed way of describing physical processes.
The key distinction is between simulation (systems that mimic behavior, like today's AI) and instantiation (systems whose physical structure actually generates experience). From this view, algorithms alone can't produce consciousness. If AI ever becomes conscious, it will be because of its physical makeup, not its code.
