Some Thoughts on the Dualism of Body and Mind, and AI

This artwork, displayed in the Faculty of Medicine at Dokuz Eylul University, immediately captivated me at first sight. The reconstruction of a body part into a cube made me reflect on the duality of body and mind. I imagined the perfect geometry of the cube as it symbolizes the mind, while the unsettling observations about the body's imperfections let me consider mind and body as distinct concepts. This piece seamlessly merges these two elements, sparking an inner monologue within me.

Conversely, in the opening scene of Kubrick’s movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey, a cuboid monolith appearing out of nowhere is shown as an evolutionary catalyst for our early primate ancestors, leading them to pave the way for advanced technology. This symbol fascinated me from a different perspective, suggesting intelligence as an external force carried both body and mind many steps forward.

The ongoing debate about whether AI will replace human intelligence is also relevant here. While some people are convinced this will happen, many neuroscientists argue that AI lacks the human elements necessary for human intellect (or artificial consciousness), therefore, AI needs to be fed with all sensory or sensory-like inputs, that generate subjective experiences, and consciousness, which seems out of reach for now. Given these points, the infeasibility of artificial consciousness challenges the notion that dualism exists, so the body and the mind are different.
*Computers have features that always surpassed us in various aspects. This is another subject.
**Artwork by Başak Tanem Tanyeri