The Evolution of Machine Consciousness

In this episode we return to the subject of whether AIs will become conscious, or, to use a word from the title of the latest book from our guest today, whether AIs will become sentient.

Our guest is Nicholas Humphrey, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at London School of Economics, and Bye Fellow at Darwin College, Cambridge. His latest book is “Sentience: the invention of consciousness”, and it explores the emergence and role of consciousness from a variety of perspectives.

The book draws together insights from the more than fifty years Nick has been studying the evolution of intelligence and consciousness. He was the first person to demonstrate the existence of “blindsight” after brain damage in monkeys, studied mountain gorillas with Dian Fossey in Rwanda, originated the theory of the “social function of intellect”, and has investigated the evolutionary background of religion, art, healing, death-awareness, and suicide. Among his other awards are the Martin Luther King Memorial Prize, the Pufendorf Medal, and the International Mind and Brain Prize.

The conversation starts with some reflections on the differences between the views of our guest and his long-time philosophical friend Daniel Dennett, who had died shortly before the recording took place.

Selected follow-ups:

• The website of Nicholas Humphrey
• The book Sentience: The Invention of Consciousness
• How did consciousness evolve? - Recording of talk at the Royal Institution
• The book Consciousness Explained by Daniel Dennett
• Penrose triangle (article contains "real impossible triangles")
• Keith Frankish (philosopher of mind)
• The psychonic theory of consciousness - a theory included in the 1929 edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica
• Lawrence (Larry) Weiskrantz - the supervisor of Nicholas Humphrey
• Blindside patient 'TN'
• The Tin Men by Michael Frayn
• What’s it like to be an AI: Anil Seth on London Futurists Podcast
• Joe Simpson (mountaineer)
• The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness
• Scientific Declaration on Insect Sentience and Welfare
• Rupert Sheldrake
• Alternative Natural Philosophy Association (ANPA)

Music: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration