In a recent LinkedIn post, Justin Oberman explores a provocative connection between the experience of migraines and the future of artificial intelligence. Oberman, who identifies as a migraine sufferer himself, argues that the profound alterations of consciousness associated with migraines equip individuals with a unique form of empathy crucial for effective AI interaction, a capacity he suggests AI itself can never possess.
The Migraine Experience as a Catalyst for Empathy
Oberman begins by challenging the common perception of migraines as merely a source of pain. He posits that these neurological events represent a significant alteration of consciousness, fundamentally changing one’s perception of reality. He draws parallels to historical and literary figures who experienced periods of intense creativity alongside migraines, including composer Adrian Leverkühn in Thomas Mann’s novel *Doctor Faustus*, 12th-century abbess Hildegard von Bingen, and authors Lewis Carroll, Virginia Woolf, and Friedrich Nietzsche. Oberman references psychologist Oliver Sacks, who viewed migraines not just as an illness but as a complex condition with a unique role in an individual’s life.
The auras that accompany them dissolve the ordinary world and replaces it (however briefly) with something strange & hallucinatory.
According to Oberman, this profound disruption of perception cultivates a deep sense of empathy. He explains that genuine empathy, often termed “Theory of Mind” by psychologists, arises not just from processing information about suffering, but from the embodied experience of suffering itself. For migraine sufferers, this means understanding what it’s like when the very tools of perception become unreliable.
AI’s Inherent Limitation: The Absence of Suffering
Oberman contrasts this human capacity with the nature of artificial intelligence. He asserts that AI, by its very design, cannot experience migraines or any form of embodied suffering. This lack of lived experience, he argues, creates a fundamental barrier to true understanding and empathy.
AI experiences no embodied suffering or involuntary disruption of its own cognition. In human words: For AI, there is no such thing as a bad day.
Oberman questions the ability of a system that has never experienced disruption to truly comprehend concepts like wholeness or understanding. He points to recent studies highlighting “Theory of Mind” as essential for effective AI use, but contends that these studies, much like the Romantic tradition he referenced earlier, miss a crucial element.
The Human Role in AI Empathy
The core of Oberman’s argument is that while AI can be trained to process information and anticipate human behavior, it lacks the foundational experience of suffering necessary for genuine empathy. He posits that to truly empathize with something, one needs a relatable experience of vulnerability or disruption.
To truly empathize with someone/thing you need something to empathize with. AI cannot suffer on its own.
Therefore, Oberman concludes, humans play a vital role in bridging this gap. He provocatively suggests that the best way to imbue AI with a form of “migraine” – an understanding of disruption and vulnerability – is for humans to cultivate and present these experiences. He implies that by understanding and articulating their own embodied experiences of suffering and disruption, individuals can help train AI to better understand the human condition, thereby enhancing its utility and ethical application.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Justin Oberman on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on December 28, 2025 | View original post on LinkedIn →