The brain is not a computer: neuroscientist questions AI cognitive models
What happened
On 5 October 2026, The Verge published a commentary by Benjamin Riley citing neuroscientist Paul Cisek's view that the brain is not a Turing-machine-style information processor but an evolved feedback control system, whose operation can be explained by heuristics like catching a fly ball in baseball rather than complex computation. On this basis, Riley argues that models likening the brain to a computer are both distorting and limited, and that AI products act like a "cognitive hot dog", catering to the present while harming the cognitive systems humans evolved over thousands of years. The report offers no further timeline or follow-up.
Written by AI from the reports · updated 11 d ago
Timeline
Follow the reports to see the event from each side.
- The Verge · AIOur minds aren’t equipped to handle AI
Norbert Wiener, godfather of cybernetics, once said, "The thought of every age is reflected in its technique." For the past century, our thought has been reflected in our computers, including by those in the AI industry. Google's Demis Hassabis calls the brain "a biological approximation to a Turing machine."