Emotional thinking as the foundation of consciousness in artificial intelligence
Cultures of Science September 1, 2021 Zhen-hua Zhou
Human intelligence is inseparable from emotion, yet current AI theories treat cognition as computing, reducing thought to symbolic manipulation. This approach has failed to replicate genuine intelligence, which is driven and motivated by emotion. Drawing on cognitive neurology, psychology, and anthropology, the article proposes 'emotional thinking'—the capacity to process and integrate emotions for sound decisions. This thinking splits into positive and negative types, reflecting opposing cognitive forces. The authors argue that future AI consciousness depends on emotional computing that simulates such emotional thinking, marking a necessary shift from purely computational models.