AI-Curious with Jeff Wilser

How Will We Know if AI is Alive (Conscious), w Neuroscientist Dr. Grace Lindsay


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If AI becomes conscious, you could argue this is the most important inflection point in the history of humanity.

So how will we know if and when that happens?

Professor Grace Lindsay, a neuroscientist, recently co-authored a report -- along with a team of philosophers and fellow neuroscientists -- that suggested a framework for how we might know if AIs are conscious.  

In this episode, Dr. Lindsay unpacks that report and helps us understand it, shedding light and clarity on a tough-to-understand topic.  We cover: The background and goals of the AI Consciousness Study (5:00); The philosophical chicken-and-egg problem of how to define consciousness (07:50); Why it's so damn tricky to determine if AIs are conscious (16:00); An overview of the study's framework (19:00); Why all of these possible criteria might be "necessary but not sufficient" (26:00); Whether any current AI projects are getting close to consciousness (42:00); What most people get wrong about AI consciousness (50:30). 

The report Dr. Lindsay co-authored, "Consciousness in Artificial Intelligence: Insights from the Science of Consciousness":
https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.08708

The New York Times - "How to Tell if Your A.I. Is Conscious":
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/18/science/ai-computers-consciousness.html

Professor Lindsay's book "Models of the Mind: How Physics, Engineering and Mathematics Have Shaped Our Understanding of the Brain":
https://www.amazon.com/Models-Mind-Engineering-Mathematics-Understanding/dp/1472966422/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=models+of+the+mind&qid=1612921824&sr=8-1

Professor Lindsay's site:
https://gracewlindsay.com

Professor Lindsay on Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/neurograce

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AI-Curious with Jeff WilserBy Jeff Wilser