By: A Mere Human Who Knows There’s Free Will
Artificial Intelligence (AI) keeps breaking new ground. It plays chess better than grandmasters, composes music, and even generates eerily convincing human-like text. But can it ever think like a human?
That’s the central question Karl D. Stephan and Gyula Klima tackle in their study, “Artificial Intelligence and Its Natural Limits.” Their argument isn’t just about what AI can or can’t do—it’s about whether AI can ever grasp concepts the way humans do.
But does that claim hold up? Or is there more to the story?
Summary of the Study
Stephan and Klima investigate a fundamental question: Is AI capable of conceptual thought?
They distinguish between two types of thinking:
- Perceptual thought – the ability to recognize patterns, process data, and categorize objects (something AI already does very well).
- Conceptual thought – the ability to grasp abstract ideas like truth, justice, or love, which, they argue, requires an immaterial intellect.
Their argument is based on Aristotle’s theory of the soul, as interpreted by Aquinas. In this Thomistic framework, perception and memory may belong to the body, but conceptual thought belongs to the intellect, which is immaterial and unique to humans.
To test AI’s capabilities, they analyze cases where AI has been praised for creativity (such as AI-generated stories and paintings). They argue that AI doesn’t truly “understand” what it creates—it simply recombines existing data in ways that appear meaningful but lack true comprehension.
They also discuss theories like global neuronal workspace theory and integrated information theory, which some researchers believe could provide a basis for AI to develop conceptual thought. However, Stephan and Klima remain skeptical, maintaining that conceptual understanding is tied to an immaterial intellect that AI lacks.
Their conclusion? No matter how advanced AI becomes, it will always lack true conceptual thought.
Where We Agree
Stephan and Klima’s study aligns closely with the ideas in Soulless Intelligence.
✅ AI doesn’t truly understand concepts. It can mimic human reasoning but cannot achieve the depth of conceptual thought that comes naturally to people.
✅ AI creativity is an illusion. AI-generated stories, paintings, and music are impressive, but they’re not the product of inspiration or comprehension.
✅ The human mind isn’t just a biological computer. Stephan and Klima’s reliance on Thomistic philosophy supports the argument that intelligence isn’t just computational—it’s tied to something beyond physical matter.
Most importantly, we both agree that AI lacks true consciousness.
Where We Differ – And Why
Although we align on the limitations of AI, there’s a key difference in how we define those limits.
1. The Question of Experience
Stephan and Klima focus on conceptual thought as the missing piece in AI’s capabilities. They argue that conceptual understanding requires an immaterial intellect, which means AI is forever excluded from true cognition.
However, Soulless Intelligence focuses on a different missing piece—experience.
- AI can perceive (it has sensors, data inputs, and statistical learning).
- AI may even be able to mimic conceptual thought (by processing and recombining abstract ideas).
- But AI may never truly experience anything.
This is where we introduce the wrecked car analogy from Soulless Intelligence:
Imagine two scenarios:
- A human is in a car accident. They experience pain, fear, and emotional trauma.
- A car is in a crash, and its sensors detect a collision. It doesn’t experience the accident—it just registers data.
AI, no matter how advanced, may be stuck in the second category. It can process information about an event, but it may never experience anything the way a conscious being does.
Could AI ever feel joy? Regret? A sense of meaning?
Stephan and Klima don’t address this angle in detail, but Soulless Intelligence argues that consciousness isn’t just about processing concepts—it’s about experiencing reality.
2. Could AI Ever Provide Evidence of Experience?
Stephan and Klima argue that AI is fundamentally incapable of conceptual thought, and thus, there is no need to discuss experience.
But Soulless Intelligence suggests something different:
🔹 Even if AI does develop conceptual thought, we may never be able to determine if it actually experiences anything.
🔹 Experience may be the defining feature of consciousness, not just the ability to process concepts.
🔹 If AI can’t experience, then it is not truly conscious, even if it mimics human reasoning.
This means that even if AI achieves what appears to be conceptual thought, it may still lack subjective experience, keeping it fundamentally separate from human intelligence.
Final Thoughts
Stephan and Klima present a compelling argument for why AI cannot achieve conceptual thought. Their reliance on Thomistic philosophy provides a strong case that the human intellect is immaterial—something AI can never replicate.
However, Soulless Intelligence takes the conversation one step further.
- Even if AI somehow mimics conceptual thought,
- We still may never be able to prove that it experiences anything,
- And without experience, it will never be truly conscious.
AI will continue to outperform, outcompute, and outmatch humans in many areas.
But it may never truly experience the world.
That’s what separates us from the machines.
👉 Read Stephan and Klima’s full study here:
Artificial Intelligence and Its Natural Limits
Key Takeaways:
✅ Stephan and Klima argue that AI lacks conceptual thought, and they ground this claim in Aristotelian-Thomistic philosophy.
✅ Their work rejects materialist assumptions and affirms the immaterial nature of human intellect.
✅ Soulless Intelligence agrees—but argues that experience may be the defining feature of true consciousness, not just conceptual thought.
✅ Even if AI mimics conceptual thought, we may never prove that it actually experiences anything.
✅ Without experience, AI will never be truly conscious.
AI can process.
AI can compute.
AI can create.
But does it know what it means to be?
We may never know. 🚀
If you enjoyed this discussion, you’ll love our book, Soulless Intelligence: How AI Proves We Need God.