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

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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