Thursday, September 18, 2025

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AI Consciousness Unlikely Soon Due to Infinite Loop Limits

Examining why AI systems face infinite loops unlike conscious minds

From Hacker News Original Article Hacker News Discussion

AI systems can get trapped in infinite loops because they lack the embodied, time-anchored consciousness that helps living beings avoid such pitfalls. Unlike AI, human minds operate within the continuous flow of physical time and entropy, which aids adaptive, flexible behavior and prevents endless repetition.

Why it matters: AI’s fundamental design disconnect from time and entropy limits its ability to avoid infinite loops, hindering true adaptive intelligence.

The big picture: Consciousness, tied to survival and physical time, may be essential for the kind of open-ended intelligence living beings exhibit.

The stakes: Without consciousness-like processes, AI may never achieve truly general intelligence or fully escape the frame and infinite loop problems.

Commenters say: Debates focus on defining consciousness, with skepticism about AI consciousness claims and concerns over arbitrary distinctions between human and AI awareness.