SweCog organizes a series of talks, starting in spring 2026, featuring leading cognitive scientists.
Our first speaker will be Tom Ziemke, who is a Professor of Cognitive Systems at the Department of Computer and Information Science (IDA), Linköping University, and Head of the Cognition & Interaction Lab (COIN), which is part of the Division for Human-Centered Systems (HCS) in the Department of Computer and Information Science (IDA).
Time and place
May 22nd 2026, 13.00-14.00 (CET + 1 hour)
Online: Teams-link to the meeting.
Audience: Open to all interested in cognitive science and related fields
Title:
Cognition, computation, competence & comprehension
Abstract:
The seminar revisits old arguments regarding AI’s lack of understanding (Searle) vs. AI’s “sorta understanding” or “competence without comprehension” (Dennett) in the light of recent developments in social robotics and AI. The focus is on the so-called “relational turn” in AI ethics, i.e., the view that instead of worrying about artefacts’ internal properties, we should evaluate them in terms of the social relationships and interactions that humans have with them.