🌀 Strange loops, AI, & empathy
Why is everyone so worried about machines gaining consciousness? What is consciousness anyway - are we even close - and if so, is it even avoidable?
In this interactive talk Tim will lay out an argument for:
Why Hofstader-type strange loops are requisite for solving open-ended problems (e.g. in science)
Why this entails mechanistic consciousness,
which there is a clear line-of-sight toward.
& From which can/should emerge empathy.
Further discussion will focus on if empathy is the natural antecedent of cognitively complete social beings, or if other elements are necessary. Finally, we'll reflect on the narrative of power and how it feeds the fears of existential risk vs. the ray of hope imagined by us creating something in our better image.
What is Conscious Tech?
"Conscious Tech" has a two-fold meaning:
1. Technology that expands consciousness, on an individual or collective level, towards mindful loving compassion, and flourishing. (e.g. mental health tech, tech for caring, tech for spiritual awakening & wisdom).
2. Technology that are crafted with conscious intent and process and a truly life-centric orientation, minding the complex systemic dynamics that a product and service reside in. (e.g. calm tech, ambient computing, natural gesture interfaces)
What is CTC? We are a multidisciplinary group of innovators from backgrounds such as neuroscience, engineering, brain-computer interface (BCI), human-comuter interaction design (HCI), psychotherapy, arts, plant medicine, somatic healing, and other ancient wisdom practices. We come from academic, industry, and startup contexts and gather weekly in person in San Francisco, and go on excursions to other parts of the world.
Together, we explore shared concerns and curiosities about the impact of a new wave of emerging technologies on human well-being: from AI to next-gen BCI and biosensors, and more. We aim to channel technology's power to heal our connections to Self, Each other, and the Planet.
We advocate for the ethical research, design, and development of well-being-focused products and services - enabled by emerging technology. We also advocate for systems change - positive futures where Technology and Capital support human and planetary flourishing. Not the other way around. We want to contribute to an economy that's regenerative, life-sustaining, and positive-sum, not extractive.
Our 4 pillars of action are:
1. Community Building
2. Translational Research
3. Innovator Support
4. Product Incubation
A deep dive of our values can be found here: https://lu.ma/rcb9yltg
If these resonate, join us!