Is The Brain Really A Computer? - Andrew Richmond

Andrew Richmond: Cognitive Scientist and Philosopher of Mind In recent decades, brain scientists have modeled and studied the mind as if it were a computer, yielding significant results. But does the usefulness of these scientific models justify calling the brain a literal computer? In this podcast, explore what computation truly means, whether it makes sense to describe the brain as a computer, the implications of large language models (LLMs) and AI, the future of neuroscience, and much more. Timestamps: 00:00 The Brain as a Computer In Cognitive Science 01:35 What Is a Computer? 04:19 How We Model the Brain As A Computer Complexity of the Brain and Modeling Challenges 07:23 Complexity in the Brain 15:38 The Utility of Computational Models 18:49 Philosophical Implications of Computational Models 22:28 AI, Computation, and the Mind 26:09 Understanding LLMs and Their Implications 31:03 Future Directions in Neuroscience and AI Research Find Andrew: -Referenced Paper on The Mind and Computation: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mila.12521