Philosophy of Mind and Artificial Intelligence (B-KUL-H02D5A)

4.0 ECTS English 26.0 Second termSecond term Introductory Cannot be taken as part of an examination contract
POC Artificial Intelligence

Students should be able to reflect critically on the philosophical presuppositions of the AI-paradigm.

No specific requirements.

Articles and literature

Activities

4.0 ects. Philosophy of Mind and Artificial Intelligence (B-KUL-H02D5a)

4.0 ECTS English 26.0 Second termSecond term
POC Artificial Intelligence

Historically speaking, AI-researchers have made two assumptions. The first is that intelligent processes can be described by algorithms ('effective procedures'). The second (based on the Church-Turing Thesis) is that algorithms can be implemented on some general-purpose computer. Both 'classical AI' and 'Connectionism' share these assumptions though they are otherwise different and not philosophically unchallenged. Moreover, classical and connectionist AI share the idea of a commitment to internal representation as integral to knowledge. They posit identifiable structures 'in the head' that are distinguishable from the system’s processing and that stand for things in the world. This presupposition is not shared by 'evolutionary AI' (including 'situated robotics' and 'artificial life') which represents an anti-representationalist approach thus (partly) implementing early philosophical criticisms of classical AI and its inherent Cartesianism. The course investigates philosophical problems central to the AI-paradigm including questions such as: can classical or connectionist AI explain thinking or conceptualization and is evolutionary AI better of? Is computationalism sufficient? Can meaning be explained by AI? Can computers have beliefs or desires and could AI explain consciousness? Might intelligence be better explained by less intellectualistic approaches based on the model of skills and know-how rather than explicit representation?

Evaluation

Evaluation : Philosophy of Mind and Artificial Intelligence (B-KUL-H22D5a)

Mode of evaluation : Oral with written preparation
Category : final examination during examination period
Type of evaluation : Closed book