Analogue systems can't represent general concepts
Analogue devices only capture particular sensory patterns. They cannot (by themselves) be used to recognize and process unversal concepts.
For example, the retinal image of a chair is insufficient to represent the universal concept of a chair. The retinal image must be recognized as a typical chair pattern and must be associated with a verbal label by some sort of digital mechanism.

Zenon Pylyshyn (1974).

Note: Pylyshyn allows that some analogue computations may be important in practice, and he thinks it is likely that practical AI systems will use hybrid analogue-digital mechanisms. He is arguing against the claim that all mental computation is analogue.
CONTEXT(Help)
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Artificial Intelligence »Artificial Intelligence
Can computers think? [1] »Can computers think? [1]
Yes: physical symbol systems can think [3] »Yes: physical symbol systems can think [3]
The Biological Assumption »The Biological Assumption
Neurons operate like logic gates »Neurons operate like logic gates
Brain is an analogue device »Brain is an analogue device
Analogue systems can't represent general concepts
Zenon Pylyshyn »Zenon Pylyshyn
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