en
30. May 2023

Call for Abstracts: 'Detecting Unusual Consciousness: From Brain Organoids to AI Systems' (Deadline: 30.06.2023) Call for Abstracts: 'Detecting Unusual Consciousness: From Brain Organoids to AI Systems' (Deadline: 30.06.2023)

DETECTING UNUSUAL CONSCIOUSNESS:
FROM BRAIN ORGANOIDS TO AI SYSTEMS
 
Bonn, 27–28 September 2023
  
Are some brain organoids, or sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) systems (e.g., ChatGPT 4) conscious? In some cases, it may seem so. But how can we tell? The Center for Science and Thought (CST) at the University of Bonn and the Epileptology Clinic of Bonn invite abstracts for talks at a two-day conference. The conference will focus on unusual candidates for consciousness such as isolated hemispheres after split brain or hemispherotomy surgery, and advanced AI systems (e.g., ChatGPT). The main aim of the conference is to explore cases and investigate what kind of (traditional or innovative) demarcation criteria could be used to detect whether an entity or its local states are conscious.
  
DATE: 27-28 September, 2023

VENUE: University of Bonn (Germany)
Sept 27. IZPH philosophy building: Poppelsdorfer Allee 28
Sept 28. Life & Brain Building (University Hospital): Venusberg-Campus 1

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Tim BAYNE (Monash)
Jonathan BIRCH (LSE)
Marcello MASSIMINI (Milan)
Elizabeth SCHECHTER (Maryland)

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CALL FOR ABSTRACT
 
We welcome and have space for several talks by philosophers and/or neuroscientists, including graduate students, postdocs, and early career research fellows. All the costs (travel, accommodation, etc.) of the selected speakers will be covered. Proposals (title and abstract, maximum 500 words) should be emailed to Charlotte Gauvry (cgauvry@uni-bonn.de) by June 30, 2023. Please put “Unusual consciousness” in the title of your email.
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Potential topics for proposals include questions from a philosophical and/or neuroscientific perspective on:

  • cerebral consciousness (brain organisms)
  • artificial consciousness (AI systems)
  • demarcation criteria, including (mental) agency criteria, physiological criteria (activation of a global network, phi, PCI...), etc.
  • pluralist approaches to demarcation criteria
  • ‘islands of awareness’
  • ethical implications of brain organoid, AI, etc. consciousness
     
     

http://www.borderlineconsciousness.com/conference.html