Israeli Scientists Propose Biochemical Model of Thought, Explain AI's Lack of Consciousness
Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and MX Biotech have developed a novel biochemical model that integrates memory, emotion, and thought into a single chemical process. Published in the International Journal of Psychiatry Research, the work by Dr. Gerard Marks and Haim Gilon posits that understanding memory and thought requires more than just studying neurons and their electrical signals. They highlight the crucial role of a "three-sided memory mechanism."
According to their proposed model, memory formation arises from a complex interplay between brain cells (specifically neurons and astrocytes), the extracellular matrix, and chemical substances like neurotransmitters and metal ions. The brain, they argue, performs a comprehensive biochemical recording of processes, not merely transmitting electrical impulses. Astrocytes, which surround neurons, are identified as key players in forming clusters for cognitive information processing and maintaining cellular connections with the external environment.
The scientists emphasize that a fundamental distinction between biological and digital memory is its inseparable link to emotional context. They note how a scent or sound can instantly trigger emotional and physical responses. In the Marks and Gilon model, chemical mediators encode thought processes alongside emotions.
The authors draw a clear line between biological cognition and artificial intelligence. While computers excel at logical information processing, they contend that simply increasing processing power will not lead to consciousness. Digital systems, they explain, lack the essential biochemical infrastructure and emotional foundation inherent in living organisms. "If we can understand how the living brain turns experience into memory, it will bring us closer to understanding how memory becomes thought and what fundamentally distinguishes biological intelligence from artificial intelligence," the researchers stated.
