Artificial Intelligence:
The Problem of Disembodied “Minds”

24 – 26 June, 2027

Venue:
Bangor University, in beautiful North Wales

Speakers include:

Cameron Berg
Alessandra Lemma
Mark Solms

Freud’s goal was to incorporate subjectivity into our scientific picture of reality. If the mind is just another part of nature, then it must be made from the same stuff as the rest of the universe and be subject to the same laws. The alternative is dualism: non-physical ‘mind stuff’. However, if minds obey the laws of physics, then why can’t we construct them?  The shocking answer is that some AI engineers are claiming that they can … that the mind does not need to be biologically embodied.

This congress will hear from leading experts on both sides of this compelling debate. We will ask whether machines really can have minds, and we will consider how artificial “minds” differ from biological ones. Addressing these urgent questions will teach us something important about the essence of psychological being. These questions have practical implications, too: what are the limitations, the risks and the opportunities that our professions (and humanity as a whole) are facing now?

Please note that travel to Bangor as an international visitor will require a train trip
after arriving at one of the closest airports (Liverpool or Manchester), from London, or taking a ferry from Dublin.
Click here for further information about traveling to the venue.

Get a feel for the setting and nearby attractions by watching this short video!

Information about speakers, registration, lodging, and more
will be posted soon.