#34 John MacCormick: Can Machines Think Like Us?

When an AI tells a joke, writes an essay, or solves a complex programming problem, is it just performing a statistical magic trick—or is there something deeper happening under the hood?

On this episode of The AITEC Philosophy Podcast, Roberto and Sam sit down with computer scientist John McCormick, author of Thinking AI: How Artificial Intelligence Emulates Human Understanding (Princeton University Press).

For over 70 years, we've been asking Alan Turing's classic question: Can a machine think?. John reframes this debate by taking us past the polished, fluent surface of modern Large Language Models to look directly at the underlying code. We discuss whether AI merely mirrors human output or if its internal structures have begun to replicate pockets of human cognition. Despite the existential dread surrounding superintelligence, John shares a surprisingly optimistic perspective: even if we build entities that exceed human intellect, they will never replace the deeply rooted, biological fulfillment of our shared humanity.

Uncover the machinery behind the curtain and join the conversation at ethicscircle.org.