Do AI agents have minds? A philosopher explains

Recent advances by agentic AI systems have renewed debate over whether machines can have minds. Philosopher Tom Cochrane argues that AI lacks mental states because its goals derive from humans rather than biological self-preservation. This view directs researchers in philosophy and psychology to focus on bodily processes instead of computational performance.

Summary written by AI Business Lens with an AI model from the article at theconversation.com. It is not the article, and the publisher has not reviewed it. For publishers.

Read the original at theconversation.com   Generate teaching or study materials

Instructors get discussion guides, assignments, and mini-cases. Students and readers get a plain summary, points to raise, an exercise, and a self-check. All built from the full article. A free account saves stories and gives you three generations. Stories stay on the brief for 14 days. After that this page keeps the link to the original.

More in Philosophy

• Under fire over AI, effective altruism wants to tell its own storyPhys.org — Technology · November 9, 2026
• Why Cognitive Surrender Feels AlrightPsychology Today · November 9, 2026
• AI predicts PTSD risk based on stories about what brought patients to the emergency roomMedical Xpress · November 9, 2026
• Anthropic engineer warns against 'cognitive surrender' from too much AITechRadar · November 8, 2026
• Employed job seekers are shunning companies which use AI interviews — and I don't blame themTechRadar · November 8, 2026