Could artificial intelligence ever think like a human? And if it could, would that tell us that intelligence is not bound to biology but instead a property that emerges from any sufficiently complex system? Is the conscious experience of thought tied to the organic matter of neurons, or could consciousness arise from circuits and code were they to be arranged in a similar manner? If the brain is, at its core, a highly sophisticated biological computer, then might an artificial system, built with a similar blueprint, one day cross the threshold into self-awareness? Philosophers have pondered questions like these for centuries, and in today’s world, they have captured the attention of almost every user of the plethora of cutting-edge artificial intelligence systems.

While there are a lot of philosophical considerations to be taken into account when encountering these questions, it is clear that studying the brain has helped transform the field of artificial intelligence development.