Principle of Computational Equivalence Vs. Representationalism.
Stephen Wolfram, in his book A New Kind of Science (NKS) explains what he has called the Principle of Computational Equivalence when he say: "Almost all processes that are not obviously simple can be viewed as computations of equivalent sophistication"(Wolfram 2002, pp. 5 and 716-717).
More specifically, the principle of computational equivalence says that systems found in the natural world can perform computations up to a maximal ("universal") level of computational power, and that most systems do in fact attain this maximal level of computational power. Consequently, most systems are computationally equivalent. For example, the workings of the human brain or the evolution of weather systems can, in principle, compute the same things as a computer. Computation is therefore simply a question of translating inputs and outputs from one system to another.
Some philosophers and scientist takes this principle for granted, saying that is not possible to prove that or any other kind of objects (see for example Goertzel comments).
Whether is true or false, PCE opens perspectives for construction of intelligent systems that do not use representationalists approaches, this is "is the philosophical position that the world we see in conscious experience is not the real world itself, but merely a miniature virtual-reality replica of that world in an internal representation".
In other words, a representational approach of an intelligent system, must have something that represent each concept, each relationship between concepts and meanings. In general, must have a representation of all reality.
Today, under the light of modern knowledge on computer science and intelligence, it is well known that a really intelligent (computational) system must not be implemented using representations for several reasons. The common sense say that it is not practical. Hector Zenil for instance suggested that to to make works a system using representations or backup tables would take the lifetime of the universe to find answers.
In other hand, Wolfram approach based on simple rules make possible to think on "new" forms to implement information in limited resources like a digital computer, which would justify (indirectly) the size occupied by other intelligent systems and the time to show intelligent behavior, as the brain.
For an implementation of mine of Wolfram's ideas about how probably mind codes, saves and recovers information see here. For a comparison between representationalist and Wolfram's perspectives see attached draft (in spanish).