Christof Koch (Allen Institute for Brain Sciences), “Integrated Information Theory – Or Why Consciousness is Fundamentally Distinct from Intelligence”

Humans not only can act intelligently in the world but consciously experience it, such as the delectable taste of Nutella, the sharp sting of an infected tooth, or the terror and ecstasy of a near-death experience. I will discuss progress achieved in tracking the footprints of conscious experiences to the posterior regions of the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the brain. I shall introduce the Integrated Information Theory (IIT). It explains in a principled manner which systems, based on their structure, are conscious and has been used to build devices to detect consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness. The theory asserts the existence of free will and predicts that consciousness is much more widespread than commonly assumed. On the other hand, present digital computers using a von Neumann-like architectures, though they may approach, or even exceed, human-level general intelligence, will never be conscious. Consciousness is ultimately about being, not about doing.

Christof Koch is best known for his work exploring the physical basis of consciousness in humans, animals, and machines. 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 and the president and chief scientist of the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle. He remains at the Allen Institute as 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. He latest book, Then I am Myself the World, was just published. A vegetarian, cyclist and dog lover, Christof lives on a small island in the Pacific Northwest. For more information, see www.christofkoch.com

This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.