• Elisabeth Brainin

  Karl-Friedrich Kamm

  Getting a grasp...

  more ...
  small group (~20)
  Wolfgang Jantzen

  Rüdiger Dillmann

  Free Will

  more ...
• Mark Solms

  Okyay Kaynak

  Psychoanalysis and Computer Engineering - The matchmakers challenge!

  more ...

  Jaak Panksepp

  Robert Trappl

  The mammal in the machine

  more ...
  large group (~60)
  Oliver Turnbull

  Lev Goldfarb

  The remembering body

  more ...

  Yoram Yovell

  Michaela Ulieru

  Emotions, Drives and Desire
  (Silicone in love)

  more ...

2a: Getting a grasp...

Chairs

Elisabeth Brainin
Karl-Friedrich Kamm

Content

Opening speech by the chairs and discussion about the following points:

• Can we model the brain without considering its physiological basis?
• Does intelligence require embodiment?
• Which properties and needs of a body are crucial to achieve intelligence in an organism?
• How do drives, emotions, and desire contribute to the development of human intelligence?

2b: Free Will

Chairs

Wolfgang Jantzen
Rüdiger Dillmann

Content

Opening speech by the chairs and discussion about the following points:

• If there is such a thing as free will – what are the mental functions behind it?
• How can we simulate mental functions?
• Would a machine with its own drives, emotions and feelings be willing to work for man?
• Is there a dialectical relationship among free will, emotions and drives?
• Would a human want its robot to show free will?

1a: Psychoanalysis and Computer Engineering -
The matchmakers challenge!

Chairs

Mark Solms
Okyay Kaynak

Content

Opening speech by the chairs and discussion about the following points:

• If an artificial intelligence is not conscious, can it perform truly mental functions? What makes a function mental?
• What is the specific contribution that psychoanalysis in particular can make to computer engineering (as opposed to psychology in general)?
• What contribution can computer engineers make to psychoanalysis?

1b: The mammal in the machine

Chairs

Jaak Panksepp
Robert Trappl

Content

Opening speech by the chairs and discussion about the following points:

• Create a list of requirements or basic principles that are necessary for creating a human-like psyche (inhibition and amplification, plasticity, conflicting forces, minimum effort, inner world, different systems cooperating). Break it down to models, methods, communication channels, …
• How can we modularize mental functions for engineering purposes?
• How can we unify the specifications of basic emotions and drives?
• To what extent are human control-loops understood? (emotions, hormones, ...)
• Does a machine need bio-rhythm (sleep or a similar period of non-operation) or can the necessary processes run in background all the time?
• Humans learn very much after birth while animals don't. How can we locate a technical system in this respect?

1c: The remembering body

Chairs

Oliver Turnbull
Lev Goldfarb

Content

Opening speech by the chairs and discussion about the following points:

• How is "memory" organized functionally?
• Coding of memories: what is known on the level of neurons, on the level of semantic memory?
• Who governs the updates (add/delete) of memories?
• Do we need different technologies to implement different types of memory?
• How much embodiment does memory need?

1d: Emotions, Drives and Desire (Silicone in love)

Chairs

Yoram Yovell
Michaela Ulieru

Content

Opening speech by the chairs and discussion about the following points:

• How can we engineer control systems for machines that would emulate human behavior triggered by emotions, drives and desires?
• How can we unify the specifications of basic emotions and drives? To what extent are human control-loops understood? (emotions, hormones, ...)
• Should we model a brain or should we model a mind?
• How can we model cathexis - the drive to invest emotional energy in a person, object or idea?
• How can we model inspiration, creativity, or being a positive force and an inspirational force for others?
• Would a machine with its own drives, emotions and feelings be willing to work for man?
• How can we model the lowest level of motivation for a living thing?
• Should we distinguish between emotions and feelings?

Final Discussion

The final discussion rounds up the forum. The results of the question clusters are presented and there will be room for some short concluding questions.