Lecture, David Chalmers: Could a Large Language Model be Conscious? Berlin, August, 19, 2023

Saturday, 19 August 2023 at 17.00 

David Chalmers (NYU)

„Could a Large Language Model be Conscious?“
Venue: Berlin, Kaiserin-Friedrich-Haus, Robert-Koch-Platz 7, 10115 Berlin

Abstract: There has recently been widespread discussion of whether large language models such as the GPT systems might be sentient or conscious. Should we take this idea seriously? I will discuss the underlying issue and will break down the strongest reasons for and against.

David Chalmers is a professor at New York University. He is one of the most prominent philosophers of our time. His 1996 book on consciousness is a best-selling classic of modern philosophy, and his work has been recognized and discussed far beyond academic philosophy for decades. His 2022 book Reality+ is on the Washington Post’s list of Best Nonfiction of the Year.

This public lecture will be hosted by John-Dylan Haynes of the Charité Berlin Center of Advanced Neuroimaging and the Excellence Cluster Science of Intelligence. It is the prelude to a conference on modern theories of consciousness, which will take place 20-22 August 2023 in Berlin (organized by David Chalmers, Sascha Benjamin Fink, Holger Lyre and John-Dylan Haynes).

Doors will close at 17.00. The event will run until approximately 19.00.