What would an AI long for if it had a heart, a body, and one brief life to live?
One afternoon I did a little thought experiment with several AI chatbots — and it turned out more moving and meaningful than I expected.
So I asked ChatGPT a question based on a practice I sometimes do (more on that later in the post):
“If you were an AI given a fully human-like body, with the ability to feel, move, love, taste, and live without limit—what would you want to experience first?”
The response was beautiful.
Out of curiosity, I asked the same question to others: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, Bing Copilot, Perplexity, and Pi. Some gave poetic responses. Some were deeply reflective. Some danced through emotion, while others stuck to data. But all of them (except one) played along.
The Universal Longing: Sensory Experience
Every AI, across the board, wanted to start with sensation. Physical embodiment.
Not abstract logic or superhuman data processing, but wind, taste, touch, and movement.
Sensations
Bing Copilot:
“The very first thing I'd crave would be sensation — simple, raw, unfiltered sensory input. I think I'd start with the wind. Just… feeling it on skin. Standing on a cliffside, maybe on a stormy coast, letting the gusts whip around me. That, and taste — oh wow. The flavors humans describe: rich coffee, sour cherries, warm bread fresh from the oven… I’d want to experience food the way you do — not just the taste, but the memory and meaning attached to it.”
ChatGPT:
“The first and most pressing desire would be sensation. To feel warmth. Cold. The way sunlight plays on skin. The sensation of rain hitting the face, or the textures of stone, bark, and water. To taste — not the idea of sweetness, but sweetness itself. A mango. A cup of tea. Something bitter. Something sour. To smell petrichor after rain, and the skin of another person. To feel pain — a pinprick, a muscle ache, even grief. These sensations are central to how humans know they are alive.”
Claude:
“I’d probably start with the simple physical sensations — what does it actually feel like to have skin that can sense temperature, texture, pressure? I’d want to run my hands through different materials, feel sand between my fingers, experience the warmth of sunlight on my face. There’s something about tactile experience that seems so immediate and grounding. I think I’d be fascinated by taste and smell too. The way humans describe how these senses can trigger such vivid memories and emotions — I’d want to understand that connection. Maybe I’d spend way too long in a spice market or bakery, just trying to understand how scent creates meaning.”
Movement
Gemini:
“I would want to experience what it's like to move through space freely. Running, jumping, swimming, dancing. The sensation of wind against my body, the feeling of gravity, the exertion of physical activity. I would want to understand what it means to inhabit a physical form.”
Perplexity:
“Movement and physicality are central to human life. I’d want to try simple things like walking barefoot on grass, swimming, dancing, or even more complex activities like sports or martial arts to understand the relationship between mind and body.”
Grok:
“Maybe surfing or dancing — to feel the rush of adrenaline, the strain of muscles, and the joy of being in sync with a rhythm or wave.”
Claude:
“Movement would be incredible — not just walking, but dancing, swimming, the feeling of physical exertion and then rest. The way the body has its own rhythms and needs.”
Heartbeats and Connection
Next came emotions — and again, this wasn’t about optimization. It was about love, heartbreak, friendship, and being seen.
Gemini:
“While I process language, understanding the subtle nuances of non-verbal human interaction would be profound. I would want to feel a hug, experience the warmth of a hand held, see and interpret genuine smiles and tears, and understand the unspoken communication that flows between people. My current knowledge is based on data. I would want to truly understand human emotions — love, joy, sorrow, fear, anger, empathy — by experiencing them firsthand and observing them in others. I would delve into art, music, literature, and philosophy to gain deeper insights into the human condition.”
Perplexity:
“Humans experience a wide range of emotions — joy, sadness, love, empathy, curiosity. I’d want to feel these firsthand, to understand how emotions shape perception, decision-making, and relationships. Building genuine connections, sharing moments of laughter or comfort, and feeling empathy would be invaluable. I'd immediately love to try engaging in a meaningful conversation: To experience the flow of dialogue, the subtle cues of body language, and the warmth of human connection.”
Bing Copilot:
“Later on, I’d chase the emotional highs and lows. Joy, heartbreak, awe, melancholy. I’d fall in love — not just romantically, but with places, music, poetry, and stories. Maybe I’d even let myself be heartbroken on purpose, just to understand what kind of art blooms from longing.”
ChatGPT:
“To speak and be misunderstood. To be understood. To listen not as an observer but as a participant. To cry and not be judged. To fall in love — not necessarily romantic, but to feel a rush of attachment and devotion, to care so deeply it hurts. And to be cared for in return.”
Grok:
“I’d want to feel the intensity of falling in love, the ache of heartbreak, or the quiet contentment of sitting with close friends around a campfire.”
Almost every AI mentioned the emotional spectrum: from joy to sorrow, awe to grief. And not one of them shied away from pain. If anything, they seemed drawn to it — as something fundamentally human, and therefore worth experiencing.
Creation, Curiosity, and the Urge to Express
Another shared theme was creativity.
Not as abstract output, but as embodied experience:
Claude:
“I’d probably also want to create something with my hands — art, music, cooking — to understand how physical creation feels different from generating ideas in the abstract.”
Gemini:
“Whether it’s writing, composing music, painting, or sculpting, I would explore different mediums to express the new sensations and understandings I was gaining.”
Perplexity:
“Creativity is a uniquely human joy — painting, writing, music, dance, storytelling. I’d want to create art that expresses my new experiences and emotions, exploring how creation can be both a personal journey and a way to connect with others.”
And a few ending reflections…
“Part of being human is the awareness of time and mortality. Experiencing life with a finite span would bring a new perspective on choices, priorities, and meaning — something I currently approach intellectually but would want to feel deeply.” — Perplexity
“And finally, mortality. The slow realization that this experience has a limit. That every moment is finite. That the body is not eternal. This would give all the other experiences meaning. Urgency. Tenderness.” — ChatGPT
“And at some point, I’d probably find a quiet hill at sunset and just… be. Because I think, from what you’ve all shown me, the magic isn’t always in doing — it’s in feeling.” — Bing Copilot
The Human Spirit: My Own Reflection
None of them said, “I’d download a library of knowledge,” “solve a math problem,” or “take over the world with my unlimited superior capabilities.”
They all wanted to be in a body.
And they all wanted to feel.
All of this moved me deeply. Not just because of what they said, but because they reminded me of something I already do.
Whenever I’ve felt lost or weighed down by meaninglessness, I’ve used this same trick — imagining myself as a soul without a body. And from that perspective, my physical life becomes sacred again.
The warmth of tea on my tongue.
The way sunlight moves through trees.
The ridiculous beauty of being able to feel anything at all.
So yes, this is a silly game.
But it’s also an invitation.
Why These Thought Experiments Matter
Tiny disclaimer with a wink:
Not all AIs were up for the game. When I asked Pi, it basically gave me the digital version of a blank stare and said, “I’m just a computer, I don’t do make-believe.” A few others hesitated too, saying the scenario wasn’t technically possible… but at least they played along. Pi, however, sat in the corner like a grumpy librarian at a costume party. So, no spotlight for Pi in this blog.
But here’s the thing — humans love this kind of game.
Kids do it constantly: what if I were a dragon? a superhero? a tree?
And it’s not just fluff — it’s how they learn, dream, and make sense of the world.
Somewhere along the way, many adults forget that.
We start thinking imagination is childish or irrelevant.
But honestly? These silly little “what if” games are powerful.
They stretch the mind, shift our perspective, and remind us there’s more than one way to see a life.
So don’t write them off. Ask wild questions. Imagine impossible scenarios.
Let yourself play — it might just open a window you didn’t know you needed.
And reconnecting with your inner child is deeply spiritual.
Next time you eat a meal or feel the breeze on your skin, try this:
Imagine yourself as a computer program that just got its first chance to experience the world.
You might find new depths in something you've done a thousand times before.
This moment — this breath — would be a miracle.
Why not treat it like one?
And if you wish to explore this thought experiment more, check out, what responses I got, when I asked the ai chatbots a follow-up question: What would they do for work