Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal Noam Chomsky on Panpsychism, Mind Body Problem, and Are Computers Conscious?
Oct 25, 2022
Noam Chomsky, the father of modern linguistics and a prominent cognitive scientist, shares his profound insights on consciousness and meaning. He explores the philosophical implications of panpsychism, suggesting that matter may possess experiential qualities beyond human understanding. The discussion critically examines the mind-body problem and the complexities of AI consciousness, questioning whether machines could ever achieve true sentience. Chomsky also delves into universal grammar and its innate role in language acquisition, revealing the intricate relationship between consciousness and language.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Chomsky's Unchanged View on AI
- Noam Chomsky's thinking on AI hasn't changed in 5 years due to a lack of relevant advancements.
- Current AI systems excel at finding surface regularities but fail to explain why things are a certain way, unlike true cognitive systems.
Deep Learning vs. Minds
- Deep learning approaches are useful for certain tasks but don't reflect how minds work.
- These systems don't differentiate between possible and impossible language structures, hindering insights into cognition.
Consciousness and Human-Level Intelligence
- Consciousness is a factor in human learning, thinking, and creating, though much mental activity is unconscious.
- Defining "human-level" intelligence is crucial to assessing consciousness's role in artificial systems.