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The question “Will AI artefacts ever be conscious?” was raised by Turing seventy years ago, and will not go away even though no one quite knows what it means, nor how we would know they were conscious if they were.
This lecture reports on the findings of "The Independent Tribunal into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China" (June 2019), which examined reports of state-sponsored murder for the harvesting and sale of organs.
The volcanic processes that transport diamonds to the Earth’s surface and enrich copper beneath volcanoes, show how volcanoes can be a major energy and resource.
New approaches to volcanic hazard assessment and risk management are emerging as more information is required to respond to volcanic emergencies – illustrated by approaches to some recent eruptions, such as the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat.
Professor Wilks will describe the Semantic Web and its origin in annotation methods from the humanities and will argue the need for this form of AI to manage a lifetime’s information on the web.
Professor Wilks will discuss the notion of an artificial Companion, a long-term software agent that could be present in any device: a screen, handbag or even a furry toy - and which understands the person it 'lives' with.
To mark the 100th anniversary of his birth, the legacy of Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), first president of democratic South Africa, will be considered - both within his country and in the wider world.
Sir Geoffrey will be revisiting some of his key themes in the light of some changes that have taken place across the world since - and to offer his personal view.