What impact does sensory data from our bodies have on consciousness?

Exploring the Role of Sensory Data in Human Consciousness and AI Development

The relationship between sensory perception and consciousness has long been a subject of philosophical and scientific debate. As modern technology advances, especially in the realm of artificial intelligence, questions arise about what truly defines human awareness and what differentiates us from machines.

While I am not a scientist or developer, I have a basic understanding of AI systems, particularly that current AI models, like large language models (LLMs), function primarily as sophisticated predictive text generators. A common narrative in AI discourse suggests that human intelligence and consciousness are largely built on linguistic comprehension. The belief is that, eventually, AI will develop a comparable linguistic intelligence—and ultimately surpass human capabilities—leaving us as primitive ancestors of a new, more advanced form of being.

This leads me to wonder: how much consideration is given to the embodied, sensory experiences that fundamentally shape human consciousness when comparing ourselves to AI? From my perspective, truly elevating AI to a comparable level of consciousness would require integrating that artificial intelligence into a human-like body—an embodiment that incorporates physical sensations, touch, proprioception, and other sensory inputs. Without this, AI will remain a disembodied cognition, fundamentally different from human awareness that is rooted in physical experiences.

From a spiritual or holistic perspective, the linguistic or cognitive aspect of our minds accounts for only a fraction of what it means to be human. Many believe that consciousness encompasses embodied experiences, emotions, and sensory interactions with the world. Yet, in technological discussions, there seems to be a tendency to equate being human solely with the capacity for language and information processing—effectively reducing human existence to an advanced language model.

Though my question may lack technical precision, I am curious about the insights others might offer. How important is sensory and embodied experience to our understanding of consciousness, and what implications does this have for the future development of AI? Could true artificial general intelligence (AGI) only be realized by embedding it within an embodied form, or are there alternative paths to understanding what consciousness truly entails?

Your thoughts and perspectives are welcome as we explore the intersection of embodiment, consciousness, and artificial intelligence.