The
incredible
explosion
in
the
power
of
artificial
intelligence
is
evident
in
daily
headlines
proclaiming
big
breakthroughs. What
are
the
remaining
differences
between
machine
and
human
intelligence?
Could
we
simulate
a
brain
on
current
computer
hardware
if
we
could
write
the
software? What
are
the
latest
advancements
in
the
world's
largest
brain
model? Participate
in
the
discussion
about
what
AI
has
done
and
how
far
it
has
yet
to
go,
while
discovering
new
technologies
that
might
allow
it
to
get
there.
About
the
speakers
CHRIS
ELIASMITH (Philosophy,
Engineering,
Computer
Science)
is
the
Director
of
the
Centre
for
Theoretical
Neuroscience
(CTN)
at
the
University
of
Waterloo.
The
CTN
brings
together
researchers
across
many
faculties
who
are
interested
in
computational
and
theoretical
models
of
neural
systems.
Dr
Eliasmith
was
recently
elected
to
the
new
Royal
Society
of
Canada
College
of
New
Scholars,
Artists
and
Scientists,
one
of
only
90
Canadian
academics
to
receive
this
honour.
He
is
also
a
Canada
Research
Chair
in
Theoretical
Neuroscience.
His
book,
'How
to
build
a
brain'
(Oxford,
2013),
describes
the
Semantic
Pointer
Architecture
for
constructing
large-scale
brain
models.
His
team
built
what
is
currently
the
world's
largest
functional
brain
model,
'Spaun',
and
the
first
to
demonstrate
realistic
behaviour
under
biological
constraints.
This
ground-breaking
work
was
published
in
Science
(November,
2012)
and
has
been
featured
by
CNN,
BBC,
Der
Spiegel,
Popular
Science,
National
Geographic
and
CBC
among
many
other
media
outlets,
and
was
awarded
the
NSERC
Polayni
Prize
for
2015.
PAUL
THAGARD is
a
philosopher,
cognitive
scientist,
and
author
of
many
interdisciplinary
books.
He
is
Distinguished
Professor
Emeritus
of
Philosophy
at
the
University
of
Waterloo,
where
he
founded
and
directed
the
Cognitive
Science
Program.
He
is
a
graduate
of
the
Universities
of
Saskatchewan,
Cambridge,
Toronto
(PhD
in
philosophy)
and
Michigan
(MS
in
computer
science).
He
is
a
Fellow
of
the
Royal
Society
of
Canada,
the
Cognitive
Science
Society,
and
the
Association
for
Psychological
Science.
The
Canada
Council
has
awarded
him
a
Molson
Prize
(2007)
and
a
Killam
Prize
(2013).
His
books
include:
The
Cognitive
Science
of
Science:
Explanation,
Discovery,
and
Conceptual
Change
(MIT
Press,
2012);
The
Brain
and
the
Meaning
of
Life (Princeton
University
Press,
2010);
Hot
Thought:
Mechanisms
and
Applications
of
Emotional
Cognition (MIT
Press,
2006);
and
Mind:
Introduction
to
Cognitive
Science (MIT
Press,
1996;
second
edition,
2005).
Oxford
University
Press
will
publish
his
3-book
Treatise
on
Mind
and
Society in
early
2019.