On this episode, host Pat Flynn begins a three-part conversation with Dr. Selmer Bringsjord about all things related to AI, consciousness, and rationality. Dr. Bringsjord has been studying and debating issues related to AI and the nature of consciousness for decades, and he shares his predictions about the capabilities and limitations of AI systems. He believes that while AI systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated, they still lack the ability to engage in rigorous, determinant formal reasoning like that described in the philosophical arguments of thinkers like James Ross. This poses a fundamental limitation on the ability of AI to truly understand or possess consciousness. Flynn and Dr. Bringsjord also discuss the problems associated with deepfakes and the difficulties in identifying real human content and values in the age of AI. The conversation sets the stage for a further discussion of Integrated Information Theory and whether it can offer a viable explanation for consciousness, the focus of the next part of the conversation.

Additional Resources

• Pat Flynn’s previous discussion with Dr. Bringsjord: https://mindmatters.ai/podcast/ep286/
• Minding the Brain: Models of the Mind, Information, and Empirical Science