Mindscapes: Culture, AI, and Minds

Workshop

12 march 2024 9am-6.30pm | 📍Macquarie University B25 C120+121

In an era of intertwined human and AI-generated content, the challenge lies in discerning their impact on cultural practices. AI-assisted decision making systems play a central role, influencing cognition and societal well-being. However, if biased towards Western perspectives, they risk neglecting diverse knowledges and cultural identities. The philosophical inquiry upon the ontology of AI has profound societal implications. If AI is, seemingly, mindful, ethical design may be infeasible. Conversely, viewing AI as a cultural product opens avenues for understanding how AI shapes and is shaped by cultural practices. This conference discusses the interplay of culture, minds, and AI. Exploring the nature of AI, we aim for a stronger understanding of its impact on knowledges, cultural identities, and human narratives.

Speakers

Shaun Gallagher

University of Memphis

Pii Telakivi

Univeristy of Helsinki

Luke Munn

University of Queensland

Tom Froese

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos

University of South Australia

Wendy Rogers

Macquarie University

Michael Levin

Tufts University

Sandra Catalina Branzaru Bucharest University

Max Cappucio

UNSW

Expert Panel

Prof. Paul Formosa

(Head of Philosophy Department)

Macquarie University

Dr Yves Saint James Aquino

Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values (ACHEEV) at the University in Wollongong

Professor Pietro Perconti

Department of cognitive science,

University of Messina

a/Prof. Sarah Bankins

Macquarie University

Senior Prof. Daniel Hutto

(Head of School of Liberal Arts)

Univeristy of Wollongong

SCHEDULE

(Sydney time zone)

9:00 AM - 9:15 AM: Opening Remarks and Introduction

9:15 AM - 10:00 AM: Michael Levin - "Where Minds Come from: the scaling of collective intelligence"

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM: Tom Froese - "Does LLM-based AI have a minimal self?"

10:45 AM - 11:00 AM: Morning tea

11:00 AM - 11:45 AM: Sandra Catalina Branzaru - "AI and Narrative Thinking"

11:45 AM - 12:30 PM: Pii Televaki - "AI-Extenders vs. Basic Extenders: Cognitive Extension or Manipulation?"

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Lunch

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM: Max Cappuccio - The Ikea of Being: Large Language Models as the global house of socio-cultural practices

2:15 PM - 3:00 PM: Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos - "AI-powered e-governance"

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM: Luke Munn - "Ethical AI? From Empty Principles to Critical Exploration, Design, and Decolonisation"

3:45 PM - 4:00 PM: Afernoon tea

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM: Wendy Rogers - "Breast cancer screening and AI: ethical challenges"

4:45 PM - 5:45 PM: Keynote: Shaun Gallagher - "Trust, reliability and transparency in AI-guided psychotherapy"

Closing Session

5:50 PM - 6:20 PM: Expert Panel Session: Closing Remarks and End of Workshop

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MACQUARIE MINDS

AND INTELLIGENCE INITIATIVE

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