FYS: Could Machines Be Conscious?

3 Credits.

Consciousness is maybe the most mysterious thing in the universe. Why would any hunk of matter—particularly the three pounds of squishy stuff between your ears—feel any particular way? It’s hard even to imagine a satisfying explanation. Recent advances in artificial intelligence are raising this old question in new ways. Machines are smarter than they’ve ever been. If you thought there was a connection between intelligence and consciousness, then would a smart enough machine be conscious? Or is there something special about a biological brain? This First-Year Seminar will investigate human and artificial minds. What is consciousness, and could there be artificial consciousness? Do large language models like ChatGPT have beliefs or desires? What is it about minds that make them the sorts of things we have to care about morally? In exploring these questions, we will draw on philosophy and cognitive science, and learn about how large language models like ChatGPT actually work. We will also consider explorations of these themes in science fiction, and maybe even administer a Turing Test of our own.