We are pleased to announce a call for papers for the Workshop on Generative AI (GENAI) and the Philosophy of Mind, to be held in Lisbon, Portugal on 8th and 9th July 2024. The workshop aims to explore the intersection of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and the philosophy of mind, fostering interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations between researchers in AI, philosophy, cognitive science, and related fields.

Generative AI, particularly deep learning models such as generative adversarial networks (GANs), variational autoencoders (VAEs), and large language models (LLMs), has made significant strides in recent years, enabling machines to generate content that mimics human-like creativity, imagination, and understanding. These advancements raise profound questions on the nature of consciousness, creativity, personal identity, self and how cognition is organized. They invite philosophical inquiry into the implications of generative AI for our understanding of the mind, cognition and our affective lives.

The meeting takes place in the scope of the GENAI project, which investigates human cognitive flourishing against the backdrop of generative AI systems. The workshop is also organized in the context of the new "Digital Andy" System produced by the University of Southampton and Nova University of Lisbon. Digital Andy is a proof of concept augmented LLM based on the written works of the philosopher Andy Clark. Several talks will feature findings stemming from the use of this model.

The workshop will feature talks by leading experts in AI, philosophy, and cognitive science, as well as interactive sessions designed to facilitate lively exchange and collaboration among participants. We encourage researchers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to contribute to this interdisciplinary dialogue, enriching our understanding of the complex interplay between generative AI and the philosophy of mind.

Submission Guidelines

Papers in the form of extended abstracts (not exceeding 500 words) should be submitted via EasyChair (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=genai24).

All submissions will undergo a peer-review process, and accepted papers will be presented at the workshop. Presentations will have a duration of 30 minutes with 10 minutes of questions.

We intend to produce a journal special issue in part based on the papers presented at this meeting.

List of Topics

We invite submissions of extended abstracts on topics including but not limited to:

• Philosophical foundations of generative AI.
• Consciousness and creativity in artificial systems.
• Ethics and responsible development of generative AI in cognitive contexts.
• Personal identity: centres of narrative gravity, deep cognitive fakes, doppelgangers.
• Epistemological implications of AI-generated content.
• Comparative studies of human and artificial creativity.
• Using LLMs for philosophical research.
• Cognitive flourishing in the context of generative AI.
• The status of the representation debate in the context of generative AI.
• The implications of generative AI for 4E (extended, embodied, enactive, and embedded) cognition.

Committees

Program Committee

• Gloria Andrada: Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal
• Klaus Gärtner: Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
• Marco Fasoli: Università di Roma La Sapienza, Italy
• Marcin Miłkowski: Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
• Georg Theiner: Villanova University, USA
• Richard Heersmink: Tilburg University, Netherlands

Organizing committee

• Dr Rob Clowes: Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal
• Dr Paul Smart: University of Southampton, UK
• Dr Nuno Venturinha: Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal

Invited Speakers

• Professor Keith Frankish (University of Sheffield)
• Dr Paul Smart (University of Southampton)
• Professor Ron Chrisley (University of Sussex)

Venue

The workshop will take place at the NOVA Institute of Philosophy, Lisbon, Portugal. The workshop is co-located with the 9th National Meeting in Analytic Philosophy, which will run from 10th to 12th July 2024.

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to Dr Paul Smart (ps02v@ecs.soton.ac.uk).