Workshop on Functions and Representations in AI Systems
16th&ndash\;17th November 2026
Copenhagen\, Denmark (Carlsberg Academy)
The concepts of function and representation are widely invoked in the cognitive and life sciences. An influential philosophical tradition\, teleosemantics\, proposes to ground representation partly in biological functions and ground functions in historical selection processes. While this remains a leading approach\, the account has faced challenges\, ranging from the notorious "swampman" objection\, to more recent disputes about the nature of functional and representational explanation in scientific practice.
Independently\, the recent wave of developments in artificial intelligence has sparked questions about the representational capacities of AI models\, e.g. what\, if anything\, can large language models represent? The emerging field of mechanistic interpretability is replete with function- and representation-talk. But is this talk justified? Are AI models subject to selection processes\, in the proper sense? And are the concepts of representation and function deployed here the same as those invoked in the life sciences? Are standard philosophical frameworks adequate for the case of AI? Or should we look elsewhere\, e.g. to theorising about artefacts? And what role\, if any\, do human norms and intentionality play in grounding AI functions and content?
A workshop on these issues\, co-funded by the Pioneer Center for Artificial Intelligence (https://www.aicentre.dk/p1-programs/functions-and-representations-in-ai-systems) and the Center for Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (University of Copenhagen) (https://cpai.ku.dk/)\, will be held in Copenhagen\, November 16th&ndash\;17th\, in the beautiful Carlsberg Academy building (https://www.carlsbergfondet.dk/en/about-the-foundation/our-buildings/the-carlsberg-academy/).
Confirmed speakers include
\nPlease feel free to forward this information to anyone who you think might be interested in attending the workshop. \;
\nAttendance is free but registration is required. You can register here: \;https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVu6hdujp-jZ1UH7-DuccfEQOorf-icTIGn1roPJjHhzVULQ/viewform
ORGANIZER;CN=Iwan Williams: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261028T093716Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20270127T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20270129T170000 SUMMARY:Perspectives on Scientific Error Workshop 2027 UID:20261028T093717Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-564d9fbdc7-f8tfj TZID:Europe/Berlin LOCATION:Copenhagen\, Denmark DESCRIPTION:Join us for this ninth edition to discuss the statistical\, philosophical\, and meta-scientific issues of scientific error.
\nTheoretical arguments have suggested that the number of false claims in the scientific literature may be much higher than desired\, and reports across fields have shown that many findings researchers believed were firmly established failed to replicate. These erroneous claims raise important issues. From an empirical practitioner's perspective\, errors mislead and slow down research projects. From a philosophical perspective\, scientific error raises questions about the right forms of scientific inference\, scientific progress\, and the reliability of science as a source of knowledge. From the perspective of the general public\, it undermines the epistemic authority of science and the degree to which policy-makers trust scientific experts.
\nFollowing the success of the previous eight editions\, PSE9 brings together an interdisciplinary group of researchers to share their views on how scientific errors can be detected and corrected\, how they influence knowledge generation\, and how they shape the perception of science as a whole.
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR