Workshop on Generative AI and the Philosophy of Mind

We are pleased to announce a call for papers for the Workshop on Generative AI (GENAI) and the Philosophy of Mind, to be held in Lisbon, Portugal on 8th and 9th July 2024. The workshop aims to explore the intersection of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and the philosophy of mind, fostering interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations between researchers in AI, philosophy, cognitive science, and related fields.

Generative AI, particularly deep learning models such as generative adversarial networks (GANs), variational autoencoders (VAEs), and large language models (LLMs), has made significant strides in recent years, enabling machines to generate content that mimics human-like creativity, imagination, and understanding. These advancements raise profound questions on the nature of consciousness, creativity, personal identity, self and how cognition is organized. They invite philosophical inquiry into the implications of generative AI for our understanding of the mind, cognition and our affective lives.

The meeting takes place in the scope of the GENAI project (https://ifilnova.pt/en/research-projects/genai/), which investigates human cognitive flourishing against the backdrop of generative AI systems. The workshop is also organized in the context of the new "Digital Andy" System produced by the University of Southampton and Nova University of Lisbon. Digital Andy is a proof of concept augmented LLM based on the written works of the philosopher Andy Clark. Several talks will feature findings stemming from the use of this model.

We invite submissions of extended abstracts on topics including but not limited to:

• Philosophical foundations of generative AI.
• Consciousness and creativity in artificial systems.
• Ethics and responsible development of generative AI in cognitive contexts.
• Personal identity: centres of narrative gravity, deep cognitive fakes, doppelgangers.
• Epistemological implications of AI-generated content.
• Comparative studies of human and artificial creativity.
• Using LLMs for philosophical research.
• Cognitive flourishing in the context of generative AI.
• The status of the representation debate in the context of generative AI.
• The implications of generative AI for 4E (extended, embodied, enactive, and embedded) cognition.

Papers in the form of extended abstracts (not exceeding 500 words) should be submitted via EasyChair (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=genai24). The deadline for submissions is 7th June 2024. 

All submissions will undergo a peer-review process, and accepted papers will be presented at the workshop. Presentations will have a duration of 30 minutes with 10 minutes of questions. Successful submissions will be notified by 15th June 2024.

For more information about the workshop, please visit the GENAI24 website (see below). Additional queries should be directed to Dr Paul Smart ([email protected]).