From bees to bots: exploring the space of possible minds. Speaker: Henry Shevlin, Chair: Ali Boyle

With advances in machine learning in the last decade, the gap between biological and artificial intelligence seems to have narrowed. But even the most advanced artificial systems still fall short of many of the capabilities of humans and even simpler animals like honeybees, despite their virtuoso feats in other domains. In this talk, I'll review some of the most striking differences between artificial and biological systems, and suggest how these might help inform a broader scientific conversation about the nature and variety of minds, intelligence, and consciousness.

Audience: Adults; young adults 12+

This presentation was part of the new, interdisciplinary Cambridge Festival (replacing the Cambridge Science Festival and the Cambridge Festival of Ideas) which took place from 26 March to 4 April 2021. The festival was primarily digital in 2021 – to enable wide-reaching engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.