Scaling Up AI Compute Does Not Guarantee Consciousness, Argues Tech Writer

A tech writer argues that increasing compute power and model size in large language models will not inevitably produce consciousness. Drawing on a multi-part series, the author compares both human perception and LLMs to 'rendering engines' that process inputs through layered filters rather than perceiving raw reality. Just as improving a screen's resolution never makes it a viewer, making AI outputs more sophisticated does not bridge the gap to genuine awareness. The author draws parallels between human cognitive biases — shaped by sensory limits, emotion, and cultural conditioning — and the training processes that shape LLM outputs. The piece stops short of claiming AI can never be conscious, but challenges the assumption that better performance alone answers the question.