Subvolts take Explore the philosophical frontier of AI consciousness with author Michael Pollan. Feb 25, 2026 - Developers
- Understand the philosophical underpinnings and future research directions beyond current model capabilities.
- Business
- Consider the long-term implications of AI development for understanding intelligence and consciousness.
- Everyday users
- Explore fascinating questions about AI, the mind, and what it means to be conscious.
This is a solid interview with a noted author exploring fundamental questions about AI and consciousness.
Can AI Become Conscious? — With Michael Pollan
Audio streams from Alex Kantrowitz. Your place is remembered on this device.
From Subvolts
Summary and analysis by Subvolts editorial, AI-assisted.
Michael Pollan joins the Big Technology Podcast to discuss AI consciousness. The episode explores if AI can become conscious, what that means for the nature of mind, and whether consciousness is computable. It contrasts materialism and spirituality, touches on the "hard problem" of consciousness, and examines plant sentience and psychedelic experiences.
This episode asks if computers can truly think and feel like humans. It explores what consciousness is and if machines could ever achieve it, connecting it to our understanding of plants and our own minds.
This episode offers a deep dive into the philosophical and scientific questions surrounding AI consciousness, moving beyond technical capabilities. It is for anyone interested in the future of AI and its implications for understanding the mind. While frontier labs like OpenAI and Google Gemini focus on building more capable models, this conversation probes the fundamental nature of intelligence and awareness, relevant to their long-term research goals.
- HostAlex Kantrowitz
- GuestMichael Pollanauthor, A World Appears
- Guest: Michael Pollan, author of A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness
- Show: Big Technology Podcast
- Length: 55 minutes
- Core Question: Can AI become conscious?
Michael Pollan is the author of A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness. Pollan joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss whether AI can ever become conscious and what that question reveals about the nature of mind. Tune in to hear a nuanced debate about whether consciousness is computable, where today’s LLMs fall short, and how researchers might actually test machine consciousness in the future. We also cover materialism vs. spirituality, the “hard problem” of consciousness, psychedelic experiences, and the emerging science of plant sentience. Hit play for a thoughtful, surprising conversation that brings the AI consciousness debate back down to earth while opening up some of its strangest possibilities.
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- computable
- Michael Pollan
- can be figured out or solved by a computer or algorithm
- hard problem of consciousness
- Michael Pollan
- explaining how physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experiences
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Questions people ask
- What is the episode about?
- The episode discusses whether AI can become conscious, exploring the nature of mind and if consciousness is computable.
- What other topics are covered?
- It also covers materialism vs. spirituality, the "hard problem" of consciousness, psychedelic experiences, and plant sentience.
Page generated Oct 19, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the audio, artwork and notes belong to Alex Kantrowitz.