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Truly Human?

A seminar exploring what it means to be human

Robot playing piano. Photo by Franck V

Info about event

Time

Friday 26 October 2018,  at 09:30 - 15:30

Location

Søauditorierne, building 1252-310 (Jeppe Vontilius auditorium)

Organizer

Human Futures

The recent technological developments concerning artificial intelligence, human enhancement, advanced robotics and machine learning are challenging what qualifies as being truly human. Not only are machines outsmarting humans in rational decision-making, they are also entering domains normally associated with unique human capacities. These are capacities such as establishing relationships based on love and care or artistic creativity. The question, however, is whether such capacities are fundamentally beyond the grasp of artificial systems or whether we might as well get used to the ideas of care robots, sex robots, robotic composers etc. Another question is whether humans could or should enter a technological arms race by upgrading their “natural” capabilities to a point where they effectively transcend humanity as we (think) we know it. This seminar will explore how we could or should envision a future with relationships between humans, posthumans, and artificial systems with human or quasi-human traits and behaviors.

Professor Robert Sparrow from Monash University, Australia, Professor Nicholas Agar from Victoria University of Wellington, graduate scholar Jonathan Pengelly, also from Victoria University, and professor MSO Mads Rosendahl Thomsen from Aarhus University will each give a talk at the seminar.

Program

9.30 – 10.45:

Nicholas Agar: Good Philosophical Advice About Enhancement (respondent: Morten Dige)

11.00 – 12.00:       

Mads Rosendahl: Errare Humanum Est: Notes on the Aesthetics of Pretending to be Human

13.00 – 14.00:       

Jonathan Pengelly: Machine Freedom and the Divided Self

14.15 – 15.30:       

Robert Sparrow: Yesterday's Child (respondent: Johanna Seibt)

Venue: Jeppe Vontillius Auditorium, 1252-310 (The Lake Auditoriums)

Registration is free but mandatory as the number of seats are limited. Please register here

Download abstracts and program below.