As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more and more integrated into society, two divergent narratives have captured the public imagination. On one end of the spectrum, the "AI apocalypse" scenario ...

There has been a lot of speculation that one of these days there will be an AI system that suddenly and unexpectedly gives rise to consciousness. Often referred to as the singularity, there is much ...

“Here, the fellow was in love with Samantha, who was basically a program,” explains Susan Schneider, a professor at the University of Connecticut, who has long worked in both philosophy of mind and ...

Sitting on the Marine Atlantic ferry, I’m watching the Newfoundland skyline disappear on the horizon as I type away. I see the rocking of the ocean waves, inhale its salty breeze, feel and hear the ...

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American I met Christof Koch in 1994 at the first of ...

As individuals, we feel that we know what consciousness is because we experience it daily. It’s that intimate sense of personal awareness we carry around with us, and the accompanying feeling of ...