Will simulations of human brains instigate a new evolutionary phase?
On Friday September 20th 2019, at HAU (Hebbel am Ufer), The Virtual Brain will be featured as part of 19th International Literature Festival Berlin. Dr. Petra Ritter will be speaking with Mark O’Connell and Uziel Awret about the present and imagined futures implied by brain simulation technologies like The Virtual Brain.
This is part of a larger initiative dedicated to the future of machines in literature, including autonomous writing, AI and other technologies. Admission is free, and the talk will be live translated in German and English.
The Program
VIRTUAL BRAINS AND TRANSHUMANIST CRAVINGS
Will simulations of the human brain instigate a new evolutionary phase? Apart from the advances in medical diagnostics and treatment, research findings contribute to the development of innovative supercomputers based on neural architectures. Is it plausible to infuse consciousness and sentience into a machine? What are the philosophical implications of the effort to build an AI that surpasses human cognition?With Petra Ritter [D], Mark O’Connell [IRL], Uziel Awret [ISRAEL/USA], Temi Oh [GB]
Page 54 of the International Literature Festival program. See festival program for more information
The Initiative
ABOUT THE PROJECT
As part of the Science Year 2019 — Artificial Intelligence, the international literature festival berlin (ilb) presents the program: Automatic Writing 2.0. - Twelve short stories, specifically written for the occasion, form a stylistically and thematically multifaceted narrative prism through which existential dimensions of AI progress can be explored— from computing pioneer Ada Lovelace to complex human-machine interaction to transhumanist visions. Readings and panel conversations between fiction authors and scientists from diverse fields of AI research, media philosophy, linguistics, and experimental neurology address potentialities of text generation and machine translation, conditions for technologically advanced utopias, and the implications of digital simulations of the human brain. Alongside recent innovation tendencies and future scenarios extrapolated from the present, the invitees discuss convergences and reciprocal inspirations between artistic and scientific approaches. Whereas the .criture automatique once aimed at recording the unconscious, today consciousless AI programs are able to independently produce highly potent code. In light of this terminological evolution, the event series will reflect upon the profound ramifications of algorithmic sophistication.
From page 5 of the Automatic Writing 2.0. program. See initiative website for more information
Details
This will be certainly an exciting and imaginative view of technology, and we look forward to seeing you there.
Friday September 20 at 20:00
HAU Hebbel am Ufer (HAU2): Hallesches Ufer 32, 10963 Berlin
