Is ChatGPT embodied - and would Descartes agree?The role and importance of “embodiment” for natural and artificial intelligence have been analyzed and debated for millennia across a range of scientific disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, computer science, and artificial intelligence.
The term's meaning has varied widely over time, yet no consensus has been reached. Today, it is applied to describe physical and virtual systems in new ways that overlap and sometimes even contradict traditional usage of the term. Emerging concepts such as VR, AR, IoT, metaverse, and digital twins add further complexity to the term. The recent development of Large Language Models (LLMs) and ideas about sentient computers make the embodiment landscape even more untamed - and exciting!
In this talk, based on a recent publication, I will present a taxonomy that allows us to describe and discuss what embodiment means in its various forms - what is common and what differs.
What would Descartes have to say about all these new instances of potential mind-body dualism? And naturally: is ChatGPT embodied? How would that affect our society? While definite answers may not be provided, at least the questions will be asked!
SpeakerProfessor Thomas Hellström is the head of Intelligent Robotics group at Umeå University, specializing in AI for social and industrial robotics. His work spans Human-Robot Interaction, deep learning applications, field robotics, to ethics and bias in machine learning, alongside industrial experience in financial modelling and nautical control systems.
Please note. The subtitle was primarily generated by AI in collaboration with human review and may contain some errors.