

The consciousness test | Yoshua Bengio, Sabine Hossenfelder, Nick Lane, and Hilary Lawson
30 snips Mar 4, 2025
Yoshua Bengio, a Turing Award-winning AI expert, shares insights alongside philosopher Hilary Lawson, physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, and evolutionary biochemist Nick Lane. They tackle the intriguing question of machine consciousness. The conversation critiques the Turing test and explores the complexities of replicating human thought in AI. They delve into the evolutionary significance of consciousness, the limitations of materialist views, and the moral implications of potentially conscious machines, ultimately questioning what it means to truly understand consciousness.
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The Consciousness Test
- This podcast episode discusses the possibility of AI consciousness.
- Experts from different fields explore if AI can be self-aware.
The Turing Test Debate
- Turing argued that indistinguishable computer responses from humans indicate intelligence.
- Critics argue this is insufficient for true understanding or intent.
Brains as Machines
- Yoshua Bengio believes human brains are biological machines where consciousness arises from computations.
- He suggests the Turing test is insufficient for measuring true cognitive abilities.