Conscious AI

What makes a machine conscious? This PhD would be at the intersection of Philosophy, AI and neuroscience. You would study the latest neuroscience based theories about how consciousness emerges in the brain, as well as the latest AI methods and examine what if any consciousness current AI methods might have and how we might define whether an AI is conscious based on what we know about consciousness in the brain. This wouldn't be a typical machine learning PhD, as many aspects can only be examined on a philosophical and theoretical level. There may be scope to implement aspects in the ideas you develop into AI systems or mathematical and computational models of brain function. This project would be for someone who wishes to pursue a deeper understanding of humans and machines and the meaning this has for our future and the development of safe AI.

To do this project you would need to apply for a Monash Scholarship.