Time anchors AI loops and conscious minds emerge

An editorial examines Anil Seth’s claim that time and entropy anchor consciousness and keep AI from fully escaping infinite loops.

Time Anchors AI Loops and Conscious Minds Emerge

Anil Seth argues that AI's tendency to get stuck in loops stems from the time free nature of classical computation, unlike living beings tied to time and entropy. He links the halting problem of Alan Turing and the frame problem to show why a system may fail to stop and how open ended tasks invite endless repetition. He notes that living systems stay viable by exchanging energy with their environment and by minimizing statistical surprise, a process linked to the free energy principle in neuroscience. He surveys alternatives such as mortal computation and neuromorphic approaches that respect time, but remains skeptical that any algorithmic system can fully escape infinite loops or achieve consciousness as humans experience it. The piece closes with the idea that consciousness may be the missing ingredient that allows minds to navigate time and open ended problems, casting doubt on rapid progress toward AI consciousness.

The piece shifts the debate from raw processing power to the physics of time and energy. It argues that AI's limits are not just technical but fundamental, rooted in the mismatch between timeless computation and the living world's entimed dynamics. That stance invites researchers, investors, and policymakers to question hype around AI progress and to consider deeper constraints in design and governance. It also calls for exploring time aware approaches such as neuromorphic and mortal computing, while acknowledging that no current path makes AI truly alive in the human sense.

Highlights

Time itself may judge whether machines can share in life’s tempo.