To A.I. Executives, We’re All Just ‘Meat Computers’
To A.I. Executives, We’re All Just ‘Meat Computers’
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/24/business/meat-computer-brain-artificial-intelligence.html
Publish Date: 2026-05-24 05:01:00
Source Domain: www.nytimes.com
- The human brain has long been compared to machines by philosophers and scientists, often referred to humorously as “meat computers.”
- Elon Musk and others have used terms like “dumb meat computers” to describe humans in relation to artificial superintelligence, provoking anxiety and criticism from the public.
- This metaphor highlights a trend where tech executives position A.I. as superior to human abilities, sometimes described as a “1.2 billion-watt A.I. brain.”
- Critics argue that such comparisons are dehumanizing and unsettling, missing the nuance of human complexity and uniqueness.
- The metaphor of “meat computers” has transitioned into marketing language to emphasize the capabilities of frontier A.I. models.
- Philosophers debate the merits of comparing human brains to machines, with some finding value in the analogy while others believe it is inappropriate and misses what they argue is uniquely human.
