Varieties of Mind

Overview: The study of artificial intelligence has frequently benefitted from close engagement with other branches of cognitive science, and computational theories of cognition have in turn contributed to models of the mind in philosophy, neuroscience, and animal cognition. However, even as we stand at the threshold of a new era of developments in artificial intelligence, disciplinary differences and disparate theoretical vocabularies still linger, and the goal of a unifying theory of human, animal, and artificial minds remains elusive. To that end, the Varieties of Mind conference aims to bring together leading researchers in psychology, animal cognition, artificial intelligence, and philosophy of mind to explore questions including the following.

·      Which evolutionary adaptations marked the emergence of true minds?

·      How should we assess intelligence in non-human systems?

·      Could consciousness exist in minds radically different from our own?

·      What cognitive processes underpin moral notions like sentience and agency?

·      How do thought, concepts, and language relate to sensorimotor capacities?

The event will include five keynote lectures, six panels, and two public debates. We invite interested scholars to attend.

Registration required (early registration is recommended as spaces are limited).

Keynote Speakers:

Margaret Boden (University of Sussex)

Nicola Clayton (University of Cambridge)

Susan Schneider (University of Connecticut)

Murray Shanahan (Imperial College, DeepMind)

Peter Godfrey-Smith (University of Sydney)

Panellists:

Jonathon Birch (London School of Economics)

Björn Brembs (Universität Regensburg)

Joanna Bryson (University of Bath, Princeton University)

Ron Chrisley (University of Sussex)

Lars Chittka (Queen Mary, University of London)

Mike Dacey (Bates College)

Sabine Hauert (University of Bristol)

José Hernández-Orallo (Universitat Politecnica de Valencia)

Ryota Kanai (Araya, Inc.)

Fred Keijzer (University of Groningen)

Colin Klein (Australian National University)

Yasuo Kuniyoshi (University of Tokyo)

S. Matthew Liao (New York University)

Eric Mandelbaum (City University of New York)

Claudia Passos-Ferreira (New York University)

Henry Shevlin (University of Cambridge)

Joulia Smortchkova (University of Oxford)

Karina Vold (University of Cambridge)