David Chalmers: Could a Large Language Model be Conscious?

NYU

There has recently been widespread discussion of whether large language models such as the GPT systems might be sentient or conscious. Should we take this idea seriously? I will discuss the underlying issue and will break down the strongest reasons for and against.

 

David Chalmers is a professor at New York University. He is one of the most prominent international philosophers of our time. His 1996 book on consciousness is a best selling classic of modern philosophy, and his work has been recognized and discussed far beyond academic philosophy for decades. His 2022 book Reality+ is on the Washington Post's list of Best Nonfiction of the Year.

This public lecture was organized by John-Dylan Haynes of the Charité Berlin Center of Advanced Neuroimaging and the Excellence Cluster Science of Intelligence. It is the prelude to a conference on modern theories of consciousness, which will take place from August 20th to 22nd. in Berlin (organized by David Chalmers, Sascha Benjamin Fink, Holger Lyre and John-Dylan Haynes).

Doors will close at 17h00. The event will run until approximately 19h00.