What researchers are saying
LeCun argues that humans and animals mostly do not think in words
Yann LeCun, executive chairman of AMI and professor at New York University
LeCun said words are discrete objects associated with thoughts, and that the sense of thinking verbally is an illusion.
In the Daily Brief of 3 November 2026
Yann LeCun argued on X that humans and animals mostly do not think in words. In his account, words are discrete objects attached to thoughts, and this attachment creates the illusion that thinking is verbal.
He pointed to his recent talks and papers on the topic. The claim is his own position in a long-running argument about language and thought, and the post presents no new evidence.