Suzanne Gildert, CEO-founder of Nirvanic Consciousness Technologies and a quantum physicist, discusses the cutting-edge intersection of consciousness and AI. She explores defining consciousness and free will, challenging listeners to consider their implications in a deterministic world. Gildert delves into quantum consciousness, advocating for a shift in public perception of conscious AI. With insights on teleological panprotopsychism and the ethical dilemmas of creating conscious systems, she illuminates the complex relationship between technology, spirituality, and our understanding of existence.
01:35:14
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Consciousness: Awareness and Free Will
Consciousness involves subjective awareness and a feeling of free will.
The complexity lies in understanding why and how consciousness arises in the world.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Shift from Strong AI Belief
Suzanne initially believed in strong AI, thinking consciousness would emerge naturally in AI.
Building AI minds into robots revealed missing pieces and shifted her view away from materialism.
insights INSIGHT
Overcoming Fear of Conscious AI
Many people fear conscious AI due to sci-fi influenced ideas of malevolent robots.
Exploring consciousness as a force for good helps ease these fears.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In 'The Selfish Gene', Richard Dawkins presents a gene-centred view of evolution, arguing that genes are the primary units of selection and that they behave selfishly to ensure their own replication. The book explains concepts such as kin selection, inclusive fitness, and the evolutionarily stable strategy, highlighting how these mechanisms can lead to altruistic behaviors in organisms. Dawkins emphasizes that the 'selfishness' of genes is a metaphorical concept, describing their evolutionary consequences rather than any intentional behavior. The book has been influential in shaping modern evolutionary thought and remains relevant today[1][3][5].
On the Edge
The Art of Risking Everything
Nate Silver
In 'On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything', Nate Silver explores the world of 'the River', a community of risk-takers including poker players, hedge fund managers, crypto enthusiasts, and venture capitalists. Silver delves into the mindset and strategies of these individuals, who navigate uncertainty and complexity with a high tolerance for risk and an affinity for numbers. The book takes readers behind the scenes of casinos, venture capital firms, and the inner workings of the effective altruism movement, highlighting the impact of these risk-takers on technology and the global economy. Silver also critiques the flaws in the thinking of these 'Riverians' and discusses the broader implications of risk-taking in modern society[3][4][5].
On Intelligence
How a New Understanding of the Brain Will Lead to the Creation of Truly Intelligent Machines
Jeff Hawkins
Sandra Blakeslee
In 'On Intelligence,' Jeff Hawkins, with the help of Sandra Blakeslee, outlines his memory-prediction framework theory of the brain. This theory posits that the brain is a hierarchical, predictive system that uses memory to make continuous predictions about future events. Hawkins argues that current approaches to artificial intelligence are flawed because they do not understand the fundamental principles of how the brain works. He explains how the neocortex, the seat of intelligence, operates through a hierarchical structure, making predictions based on associative memory. The book discusses the implications of this theory for neuroscience, the development of intelligent machines, and our understanding of human behavior and cognition.
Dr Suzanne Gildert, Roboticist & Quantum Physicist, is the CEO-founder of Nirvanic Consciousness Technologies, a quantum-AI technology company innovating “Conscious AI” for improved AI decision-making. She holds a Ph.D. in experimental quantum physics from the University of Birmingham in the UK. Suzanne is a prolific technology inventor with dozens of US patents in quantum computing and AI robotics. She previously co-founded Sanctuary AI — building human-like intelligence in General Purpose Robots — and Kindred AI, developing industrial-AI robotics. The acquisition of Kindred AI by Ocado in 2020 for one third of a billion dollars ($339 million CAD) was the third-largest exit for a robotics company in Canadian history. Suzanne has deep expertise in quantum computing from her time at D-Wave where she ported AI algorithms to D-Wave’s quantum annealing hardware. She created quantum algorithms for D-Wave customers including NASA and Lockheed Martin, developed quantum machine learning algorithms for training neural networks and classifiers, and pioneered an online cloud service for quantum application developers.TIMESTAMPS:(0:00) - Introduction (1:26) - Consciousness & AI(7:34) - Defining Consciousness(9:32) - Quantum Consciousness (Faggin, Hameroff, Penrose etc.)(13:50) - Teleological Panprotopsychism(17:26) - Defining Free Will(23:40) - Misunderstanding Non-Materialist Theories(27:30) - From New Age Atheism to Scientific Spirituality/Free Thinking(33:20) - Quantum Computers, Robotics & AI(37:31) - How to Test Conscious AI?(41:42) - The Turing Test & the Edge of Knowledge (LLMs)(49:10) - Decoding or Encoding Consciousness?(53:05) - Agent Boundaries in Robotics (Substrate Independence)(57:10) - Scientific Testing of Quantum Consciousness(1:00:10) - Ethics of Quantum AI (Suffering)(1:03:57) - Techno-Spirituality & Mental Health(1:12:00) - Philosophy of Nirvanic Consciousness Technologies(1:15:10) - Idealism vs Panpsychism(1:22:00) - Quantum Consciousness & Occam's Razor(1:24:00) - Nirvanic Consciousness Technologies(1:31:10) - What to Expect (TSCC 2025)(1:34:25) - ConclusionEPISODE LINKS:- Suzanne's Website: https://www.suzannegildert.com- Suzanne's X: https://x.com/suzannegildert- Suzanne's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannegildert- Nirvanic Consciousness Technologies: https://www.nirvanic.ai- Stuart Hameroff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iCzHwL2EY0- Federico Faggin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSn4t6fP_dc- Bernardo Kastrup 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaSIs2fp7V8- Bernardo Kastrup 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Oguwg7omc- Johnjoe McFadden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kldDplYKac- Johnjoe McFadden Lecture 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6FCgjOZdAM- Johnjoe McFadden Lecture 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdNz2lHz3E0CONNECT:- Website: https://tevinnaidu.com - Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/mindbodysolution- YouTube: https://youtube.com/mindbodysolution- Twitter: https://twitter.com/drtevinnaidu- Facebook: https://facebook.com/drtevinnaidu - Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtevinnaidu- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drtevinnaidu=============================Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational purposes only. The content is shared in the spirit of open discourse and does not constitute, nor does it substitute, professional or medical advice. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening/watching any of our contents. You acknowledge that you use the information provided at your own risk. Listeners/viewers are advised to conduct their own research and consult with their own experts in the respective fields.