271 - Guest: Christof Koch, Cognitive Scientist, part 2

271 - Guest: Christof Koch, Cognitive Scientist, part 2

Author: aiandyou August 25, 2025 Duration: 41:00
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . I am talking with neuroscientist Christof Koch, and as he says, "How is it that we, a piece of furniture of the universe like a rock or a star or a tree, can love or hate or see or hear?" What, in other words, makes us conscious, and what does that mean? He is known for his work exploring the substrate of consciousness in humans, animals, and machines and is the author of more than 350 peer-reviewed publications and five books, the latest of which is Then I Am Myself the World: What Consciousness Is and How to Expand It. A physicist and neurobiologist, he was for more than a quarter of a century a professor of biology and engineering at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. In 2011, he became the Chief Scientist at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle and in 2015, its president; now a Meritorious Investigator. He is also the Chief Scientist of the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation in Santa Monica, seeking to understand consciousness, its place in nature, and how this knowledge can benefit all of humanity. In part 2, we talk about a theory of consciousness that Christof is a primary researcher of: Integrated Information Theory, and tools for detecting and measuring consciousness, the magic number φ, the possibility of consciousness transfer, philosophical zombies, and neural correlates of consciousness. All this plus our usual look at today's AI headlines. Transcript and URLs referenced at HumanCusp Blog.        

The conversation around artificial intelligence is often filled with either breathless hype or dire warnings, leaving little room for grounded, practical understanding. Artificial Intelligence and You cuts through that noise. This isn't a lecture series from a distant ivory tower; it's a guided exploration meant for anyone curious about how these tools are reshaping the everyday. Each episode takes a focused look at a single facet of AI, from the algorithms curating your social media feed to the software that might change how you work. We break down complex concepts into clear, relatable terms, asking the questions that actually matter for your decisions and your future. You'll hear straightforward explanations of how different AI systems function, alongside thoughtful discussions about their real-world implications-the ethical dilemmas, the economic shifts, and the personal impacts that rarely make the headlines. The goal of this podcast is to replace confusion with clarity and anxiety with informed perspective. Whether you're a professional navigating new tools, a student planning a career, or simply a person living in an increasingly digital world, these conversations provide the context you need to form your own opinions. Join us as we move beyond the abstract to examine what AI genuinely means for your life, your community, and the kind of world we're all building together, one line of code at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Artificial Intelligence and You
Podcast Episodes
244 - Guest: Beth Singler, Anthropologist of Religion in AI, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:44
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . On the recent wrap-up/predictions panel we had so much fascinating discussion about AI in religion with panelist Beth Singler that I said we should have her back on the s…
243 - Guest: Beth Singler, Anthropologist of Religion in AI, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:12
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . On the recent wrap-up/predictions panel we had so much fascinating discussion about AI in religion with panelist Beth Singler that I said we should have her back on the s…
242 - Guest: Nick Potkalitsky, AI Integration Expert [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:13
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . Continuing our exploration of AI in education, I am joined by Nick Potkalitsky, founder of Pragmatic AI Solutions and co-author of AI in Education: A Roadmap For Teacher-…
241 - Guest: Mutlu Cukurova, AI in Education Expert, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:37
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . Virtually every issue around AI – pro, con, in-between – is reflected in education right now. And teachers are on the front lines of this disruption. So it’s especially i…
240 - Guest: Mutlu Cukurova, AI in Education Expert, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:09
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . Virtually every issue around AI – pro, con, in-between – is reflected in education right now. And teachers are on the front lines of this disruption. So it’s especially i…
239 - Guest: Neil Brown, Ethics in Journalism Expert, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:28
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . Few institutions are under as much pressure today as journalism and news publishing, and AI features squarely in the middle of those pressures. Disinformation, social med…
238 - Guest: Neil Brown, Ethics in Journalism Expert, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:47
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . Few institutions are under as much pressure today as journalism and news publishing, and AI features squarely in the middle of those pressures. Disinformation, social med…
237 - Special Panel: AI 2024 Cultural Retrospective/2025 Predictions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:57
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . In our last episode of 2024, we have our traditional end of year retrospective/prediction episode. We’ll be taking a look back over the year just ending and forward to 20…
236 - Guest: Alexandra Belias, Head of Public Policy, DeepMind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:30
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . Here to give us insights into some of the really cool stuff Google DeepMind is doing is Alexandra Belias, Head of product policy & partnerships. She serves as a bridge be…
235 - Guest: Dwayne Wood, Professor of Education, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:57
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . It's tough enough being a teacher in the AI age, so can you imagine what it's like training the teachers themselves? That's what Dwayne Wood, Associate Professor at Natio…