Can We Make AIs Sentient — Solms vs Humphrey to Debate Machine Consciousness Live
cccalum · x · 2026-10-30
To mark the publication of Perspectives on Machine Consciousness, Conscium is hosting a live online debate on "Can we make AIs sentient – and should we?" on November 3, 2026.
- Mark Solms (University of Cape Town) argues consciousness is rooted in feeling generated in the brainstem, and is building artificial agents driven by homeostatic needs based on Karl Friston's free energy principle.
- Nick Humphrey (Cambridge) locates phenomenal experience in the cortex, distinguishing early-evolved "cognitive consciousness" from late-arising phenomenal consciousness restricted to social animals.
The 45-minute webinar is open for registration.
Related event: Consciousness Scholars to Debate Whether AIs Can Be Sentient(2 posts)→
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