By casting large-language-model-based dialogue-agent behaviour in terms of role play, it is possible to describe dialogue-agent behaviour such as (apparent) deception and (apparent) sel...

My paper "Talking About Large Language Models" has more than once been interpreted as advocating a reductionist stance towards large language models. But the paper was not intended that way, and I do ...

A report on a series of mini machine learning projects, executed with, and mostly by, Claude

By casting large-language-model-based dialogue-agent behaviour in terms of role play, it is possible to describe dialogue-agent behaviour such as (apparent) deception and (apparent) sel...

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In a previous post, I discussed Anil Seth’s paper on biological naturalism. Together with my colleague Rif A. Saurous, we also had an in-depth look at Integrated Information Theory (IIT), the topic of...

Explore the intersection of ethics and AI through insights from the 39th Mind & Life Dialogue, highlighting wisdom, compassion, and human flourishing.

Is it possible to articulate a conception of consciousness that is compatible with the exotic characteristics of contemporary, disembodied AI systems, and that can stand up to philosophical scrutiny? ...

The advent of conversational agents with increasingly human-like behaviour throws old philosophical questions into new light. Does it, or could it, ever make sense to speak of AI agents built out o...

October 14, 15, and 16, 2025 What is the potential of AI to alleviate suffering, advance equity, and support human and planetary flourishing—and what risks does it pose to health, work, education, politics, and climate action? And how might we infuse AI with ethical values so that it benefits the well-being of all life on Earth? … Continue reading "Minds, Artificial Intelligence, and Ethics"

If you believe there’s a soul trapped inside ChatGPT, I have good news for you.

In this post, I explain why I think that Anil Seth’s recent paper does not make a convincing argument that phenomenal consciousness is inherently biological and that therefore artificial intelligence ...

Is it possible to articulate a conception of consciousness that is compatible with the exotic characteristics of contemporary, disembodied AI systems, and that can stand up to philosophical scrutiny? ...

As part of the strategic orientation of the University of Zurich, the interdisciplinary University Research Priority Program (URPP) “Digital Religion(s)” is investigating from 2021 to 2032 how current...

Matthew Bannister on a singer, a wrestler, a cognitive scientist and a satirist.

In "Does It Make Sense to Speak of Introspection in Large Language Models?" Iulia M. Comsa and Murray Shanahan define a lightweight definition of introspection that can be applied to language models.

Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are powerful models used widely in both machine learning and neuroscience to learn tasks with temporal dependencies and to model neural dynamics. However, despite...

Large language models (LLMs) exhibit compelling linguistic behaviour, and sometimes offer self-reports, that is to say statements about their own nature, inner workings, or behaviour. In humans, such ...

CHAT-GPT is driving people mad, and they are summoning demons, or they think they are. This is a new...

Available now, my new paper co-written with the highly esteemed Murray Shanahan on jailbreaking Claude and the nature and connections of the material that comes out of having a new cup of tea and a…

With a leap in the evolution of large language models, some leading thinkers are questioning whether AI might become sentient

Contemporary conversational AI systems based on large language models (LLMs) can engage users on a wide variety of topics, including philosophy, spirituality, and religion. Suitably prompted, LLMs can...