Exploring Consciousness and AI: The Illusion of Emotion

Acclaimed British author Jeanette Winterson argues that 200 years ago, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, was a message in a bottle, a prophesy, of today's AI revolution.

This conversation was recorded at the Sydney Writers' Festival, in partnership with the University of New South Wales's Centre for Ideas on 21 May 2025.

Speakers

Jeanette WintersonAuthor, 12 Bytes: How artificial intelligence will change the way we live and love, Oranges are not the only fruit, and many moreProfessor of New Writing at the University of Manchester

Toby Walsh (host)Author, The Shortest History of AI: Six ideas to understand artificial intelligence today and moreChief Scientist of AI, University of New South WalesFellow, Australian Academy of Science