The Global Brain Argument

Professor Susan Schneider's renowned 2019 book, "Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind", broke new ground with its analysis of a number of challenging questions about AIs and minds:

*) How might we tell if an AI is actually conscious, or is merely simulating consciousness?

*) How can we answer the objection that a version of our mind, uploaded into a new physical substrate, would just be a copy of us (instead of being us), and, indeed, might not even be conscious?

*) What are the pros and cons of designing an AI to be conscious?

In this London Futurists webinar, Professor Schneider will be sharing some of her latest research, including the topic of the possible emergence of a "global brain". She'll also be answering audience questions about her vision for the newly created "Center for the Future Mind", of which she is the founding director.

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This event will be hosted on Zoom. To register, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J5JDH3KBSf6gb5iqja9UNw

The Zoom registration fee (UKP £2.50) helps cover London Futurists running costs. The webinar can also be viewed, without charge, on the London Futurists YouTube channel, but without the option to participate in the live Q&A.

(The Zoom registration page opens a PayPal interface, but there is NO requirement for attendees to use a PayPal account.)

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The Center For the Future Mind explores scientific and philosophical innovations to achieve a richer understanding of emerging technologies and the future of the mind. See https://www.fau.edu/future-mind/

Susan Schneider, Ph.D., is William F. Dietrich Distinguished Professor of Philosophy in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, in collaboration with the Brain Institute at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Schneider writes about the fundamental nature of the self and mind, especially from the vantage point of issues in philosophy of mind, artificial intelligence, astrobiology, metaphysics, and cognitive science. Schneider is also a distinguished scholar at the Library of Congress and NASA. The topics she has written about most recently include the mind-body problem, super intelligent AI, the nature of life, the mathematical nature of physics and whether the mind is a program. See https://schneiderwebsite.com/

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The webinar will start broadcasting at 4pm UK time on Sat 28th August. To find this time in other timezones, see https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html?iso=20210828T150000&p1=136

You are advised to log into Zoom up to 10 minutes ahead of the publicised start time of the event, so you won't miss the start of the live broadcast.

As the discussion proceeds, attendees will be welcome to raise questions and vote to prioritise questions raised by others.

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To register for this event, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J5JDH3KBSf6gb5iqja9UNw