The IET Robotics and Mechatronics Technical and Professional Network sponsored a distinguished speaker public lecture presented by Murray Shanahan at the Science Museum on the 27th November 2013. Murray is professor of Cognitive Robotics with the Department of Computing at Imperial College London, respected for his advances in Artificial Intelligence, the modelling of neural networks and most recently in understanding how, and indeed if, cognitive robots can ever be said to have consciousness similar to ours. 

 

Murray's enjoyable and thought provoking lecture covered ideas of physical embodiment as the foundation to developing a "Artificial General Intelligence" and how robots might be imbued with notions of common sense by an ability to predict future outcomes, showing how a new generation of cognitive robots with abilities far beyond those available now might be created in the future. Murray focused on one potential solution - whole brain emulation - progress through a thorough understanding of natural brain processes rather than conventional optimised engineering solutions. 

 

Attendees to this heavily over-subscribed lecture were able to join visitors to the Science Museum "Lates" event afterwards. The IET R&M TPN also sponsored three further lectures during the evening for Lates attendees. Dr. Sunny Bains, science and technology journalist and editor, described the dangers and pitfalls for both scientists when dealing with the media and for the readership when trying to follow what is being reported ("Robotics and AI in the Media"). Prof. Alan Winfield spoke of the ethical problem facing robot designers and users, and pondered on the ethical problems that would be raised in attempting to build robots that were themselves actually guided by ethical principles ("If we could build ethical robots, should we?") Last in the evening, Dr. Nick Hawes described some of the cutting edge robotics being undertaken in the UK, and his own lab's attempt to devise and test highly robust controllers for the next generation of autonomous robots ("Intelligent Robots: Our Future or Fiction").



If you missed the presentation you can view it via IET.tv  and you can also see a short interview with Murray Shanahan in our video sectionhttps://communities.theiet.org/video/518#.UqsX1_RdUuw



If you attended this event, we'd really love to know what you thought.    Why not submit your comments in our reviews section.



Mark Witkowski

Exec Team Member