Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal Google's Top AI Scientists On Quantum Superpositions Creating Consciousness | Hartmut Neven
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May 7, 2024 
Hartmut Neven, Vice President of Engineering at Google and leader of its quantum artificial intelligence lab, proposes a bold theory linking quantum superpositions to the generation of conscious moments. He discusses groundbreaking experiments in quantum biology that explore the connection between consciousness and quantum processes. Topics include the influence of consciousness on quantum states, the relationship between agency and free will, and the potential role of xenon isotopes in understanding consciousness. Neven's insights invite a reevaluation of how we perceive consciousness itself.
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Xenon Isotope Experiment
- A Chinese study found that different xenon isotopes have different anesthetic potencies.
- Neven's team will repeat this with organoids and drosophila, suspecting nuclear spin involvement.
Agency and Consciousness
- LLMs can be intelligent yet not conscious, lacking agency which correlates with well-being.
- Neven suggests conscious moments, linked to superposition formation, could coincide with agency.
Basis Dependence of Superposition
- Whether a state is a superposition depends on the measurement basis used, an external factor.
- However, preferred bases or pointer bases can naturally emerge in the system.
