The mind cannot be a computer. A proof via turing machines.

The best way to understand a computer is to understand a turing machine.
The question really ought to be "Is the mind a turing machine?".

Strong AI is the claim that "the mind is a turing machine". There are problems if this is indeed the case. In the following, i will suppose strong AI is true so that i will derive a contradiction. This is to prove the oppose of what is claim.

fact 1: If the mind is a turing machine, then it has the same "power"/"comprehension" as your desktop PC.

fact 2: A turing machine ( TM) can simulate another turing machine. e.g:
For TM A, and TM B, and that A is turing equivalent to B, then A can simulate B, vise versa. This means, A can do what B can do, vise versa.

Let us derive a contradiction by supposing strong AI is true.

Let TM P be the mind/"conscious person".

Let TM C be a a desktop computer that can decide what P will do with with censory input w. Denote this by <P,w>. So, if C accepts <P,w>, then P accepts sensory input w. Else, P does not accept sensory input w.

We define the TM P with the following specification:

P=" on input w.
1. Via recursion theorm( Kleene's recursion theorem - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), obtain a description of P, or <P>.

2. Simulate C with input < P, w>

3. if C accepts <P,w>, then reject.
if C reject <P,w>, then accept.

"

Contradiction occur at 3, because if P accepts w, then P reject w.
If P reject w, then P accepts w.


So our initial assumption must be wrong. " Strong AI is true" is false, or there must not be a TM C that decides <P,w>.


If the mind is a computer, and there is another computer that could figure out what this mind is going to do with by simulating it with input w, then this leads to a contradiction. Thus The following premises must be falses:

1. The mind is a computer.
2. there is a computer that could simulate this mind with input w that wields some definite output in finite number of steps.


Reference:
Sipser, Michael, "introduction to the theory of computation".
Chapter 3, 4, 5, and section 6.1( recursion theorem)