Exploring the relationship between Consciousness,
Emotions and Artificial Intelligence
8.30 – 18.00 Saturday 25th May
The Melbourne Brain Centre
Kenneth Myer Building
30 Royal Parade, Parkville
a day with Professor Mark Solms
and Professor Toby Walsh
SESSIONS:
MARK SOLMS
WHAT IS CONCIOUSNESS?
Dr. Solms will review the major changes taking place in our understanding of the brain mechanisms of consciousness. These views revolve mainly around the role of the cortex vs the brainstem and the role of cognition vs emotion. Consciousness was mainly regarded as a cortical function but now there is an increasing realisation that ‘feeling’ plays a central role in all consciousness.
The implications of these issues for psychoanalysis and psychiatry will be considered.
MAKING A MIND
Continuing from the previous session, Dr. Solms will address the question,
“Is it now possible to make artificial minds?”
This, then, begs the question, “What Do We Mean By Mind?”.
He will argue that a mind needs more than intelligence. It requires consciousness.
He will discuss his recent work in this area and consider the implications for the question “What Is Consciousness?”.
in silicon. How far are we towards this grand scientific challenge?
How might such “minds” differ from our biological minds?
Will they match or even exceed what humans can do?
And how do we program ethics into them?
Freud Conference Blog 
“Consciousness was mainly regarded as a cortical function but now there is an increasing realisation that ‘feeling’ plays a central role in all consciousness.” i like this sentence. I’ll look up more Mark Solms. Thanks