Intelligent Design the Future What Separates AI From the Qualities of the Human Mind
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Mar 20, 2026 Selmer Bringsjord, computer scientist and philosopher who studies AI, logic, and the philosophy of mind. He critiques Integrated Information Theory and contrasts neural nets with engineered symbolic systems. Topics include formal limits of AI, hallucinations and citation risks, tests for determinate reasoning, distinctions between phenomenal and cognitive consciousness, and a proposed alternative measurement for cognitive consciousness.
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Bringsjord's Journey From High School Logic To AI
- Selmer Bringsjord recounts his path from interest in logic in high school to studying philosophy and pivoting into AI at Brown under advisor advice.
- He describes a high-school Spanish teacher and later mentors pushing him toward formal logic and computational study, shaping his career.
AI Fails At Infinitary Determinate Reasoning
- Infinitary and highly determinate formal reasoning remain insurmountable for current AI, so systems can't handle proofs or reasoning that require infinite or maximally precise steps.
- Selmer Bringsjord cites examples like nested belief or complex quantified English sentences where deep neural nets fail but human logicians succeed, showing a principled gap.
Neural Models Produce Plausible Outputs Without Understanding
- Current deep neural systems can be unmasked by experts and still lack genuine understanding; they manipulate symbols (numbers) without semantic grasp.
- Bringsjord points to LLM hallucinations and fabricated references as evidence that models produce plausible but ungrounded outputs.
