Subvolts take Explore AI's philosophical core, from consciousness to reasoning, with a DeepMind scientist. Apr 24, 2025 - Developers
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This episode features a leading scientist from Google DeepMind discussing fundamental AI concepts, offering valuable insights into current research directions.
Consciousness, Reasoning and the Philosophy of AI with Murray Shanahan
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From Subvolts
Summary and analysis by Subvolts editorial, AI-assisted.
Hannah Fry interviews Murray Shanahan on Google DeepMind: The Podcast about AI's philosophical aspects. They discuss consciousness, metacognition in animals, symbolic AI, neural networks, and the film 'Ex Machina.' The conversation also touches on reasoning, anthropomorphism, and the future of AI.
This podcast episode explores big questions about AI, like whether machines can be conscious or think like humans. It connects these ideas to how AI is built today and what it might become, making complex topics understandable.
This episode offers a deep dive into the philosophical underpinnings of artificial intelligence, connecting abstract concepts like consciousness and reasoning to current AI research. It's for anyone interested in the 'why' behind AI development, not just the 'how.' Shanahan's insights, particularly his work with Google DeepMind, highlight how these foundational questions inform the frontier labs' ongoing efforts to build more capable and understandable AI systems.
- HostHannah Fry
- GuestMurray ShanahanProfessor of Cognitive Robotics, Imperial College London / Google DeepMind
- Guest: Murray Shanahan
- Show: Google DeepMind: The Podcast
- Host: Hannah Fry
- Length: 41 minutes
- Topics Covered: Consciousness, metacognition, symbolic AI, neural networks, reasoning, anthropomorphism, Ex Machina
In this episode, Hannah is once again joined by Murray Shanahan, Professor of Cognitive Robotics at Imperial College London and Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind, for a philosophical deep dive on AI. They explore everything from consciousness and metacognition in animals, to symbolic AI and neural networks. Murray also shares insights into his involvement with the film 'Ex Machina' and discusses the idea of reasoning, anthropomorphism, and the future of AI.
Further reading / listening:
- Toward the future, S1 Ep 7: https://youtu.be/yf31XT1G1RQ?si=6mAEsQhKwKPWk9oH
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Thanks to everyone who made this possible, including but not limited to:
- Presenter: Professor Hannah Fry
- Series Producer: Dan Hardoon
- Editor: Rami Tzabar
- Commissioner & Producer: Emma Yousif
- Music composition: Eleni Shaw
- Audio engineer: Richard Courtice
- Production Manager: Dan Lazard
- Video Director: Bernardo Resende
- Video Editor: Alex Baro Cayetano, Bilal Merhi
- Audio Engineer: Richard Courtice
- Camera and Lighting Operator: Robert Messere
- Production Coordination: Zoey Roberts, Sarah Ellen Morton
- Visual Identity and Design: Rob Ashley
- Commissioned by Google DeepMind
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- metacognition
- Murray Shanahan
- thinking about thinking, or awareness of one's own thought processes
- anthropomorphism
- Murray Shanahan
- attributing human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object
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Questions people ask
- Who is Murray Shanahan?
- Murray Shanahan is a Professor of Cognitive Robotics at Imperial College London and a Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind.
- What is this episode about?
- The episode is a philosophical discussion on AI, covering consciousness, metacognition, symbolic AI, neural networks, reasoning, and anthropomorphism.
Page generated Oct 19, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the audio, artwork and notes belong to Hannah Fry.