Can Machines Think?

When we talk to artificial intelligence, it sometimes feels as though there's someone on the other side. It answers questions, demonstrates creativity, argues, jokes, and even manages to surprise us. But does it truly understand what it's saying? And is there any way to know?

In this talk, we'll explore some of the most fascinating questions at the intersection of computer science and philosophy. We'll encounter the Turing Test, step inside John Searle's famous Chinese Room, and examine the difference between imitating intelligence and actually being intelligent.

We'll ask what it means to understand language, whether creativity requires consciousness, and if a machine can behave exactly like a human being, does it matter what, if anything, it experiences on the inside?

Through thought experiments, surprising examples, and audience participation, we'll discover that questions about thinking machines ultimately lead us to profound questions about ourselves.

We won't promise definitive answers. But we'll certainly leave with better questions.