CFP : Next Generation approaches to Machine Consciousness: Imagination, Development, Intersubjectivity, and Embodiment.

[Robert Clowes]

Next Generation approaches to Machine Consciousness: Imagination,
Development, Intersubjectivity, and Embodiment.

University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK, 12th - 13th April, 2005

*** Submission Deadline: 31st October 2004 ***


1st Call for Papers for:

Submissions are invited for presentation at a two-day symposium as part of
the AISB 2005 Convention on Social Intelligence and Interaction in Animals,
Robots and Agents (12-15 April, University of Hertfordshire, de Havilland
Campus, Hatfield, England).

** Scope **

Machine Consciousness (MC) concerns itself with the study and creation of
artefacts which have mental characteristics typically associated with
consciousness such as (self-) awareness, emotion, affect, phenomenal states,
imagination, etc.

Recently, developments in AI and robotics, especially through the prisms of
behavioural and epigenetic robotics, have stressed the embodied, interactive
and developmental nature of intelligent agents which are now regarded by
many as essential to engineering human-level intelligence. Some recent work
has suggested that giving robots imaginative or simulation capabilities
might be a big step towards achieving MC. Other studies have emphasized
'second person' issues such as intersubjectivity and empathy as a substrate
for human consciousness. Alongside this, the infant-caregiver relationship
has been recognised as essential to the development of consciousness in its
specifically human form.

Until now, most have considered these issues as, at best, tangential to the
creation of artificial consciousness. This symposium proposes to bring them
into greater focus and explore the contribution such work might make to next
generation approaches to MC.

Submissions are especially invited on the following topics in their relation
to MC:

* Imagination
* Development
* Enactive Approaches
* Heterophenomenology
* Synthetic Phenomenology
* Intersubjectivity
* Ethics
* General aspects (techniques, theories, constraints)

See http://www.sussex.ac.uk/cogs/mc-background  for more information.

Preference will be given to submissions that are:

* Relevant: closely related to the themes of the symposium
* Implemented: based on working robotic or other implemented systems
* Novel: not previously presented elsewhere

However, it is not expected that all accepted submissions will meet all
three criteria of preference.

** Symposium Dates **
Symposium will be held on the 12 and 13th April 2005 as part of the AISB,05
Convention.

**  1 September 2004:  First CFP distributed.
** 31 October 2004: Submissions due by this date.
** 22 November 2004: Notification of accepted papers will be sent out.
** 17 December 2004: camera ready copies due (for inclusion in 
	AISB proceedings)
** 14 January 2005: early registration deadline (NB symposium attendees must
	register for the full convention)
** 12-15 April 2005: AISB 2005 convention

** Publication **
The Chairs intend to publish the proceedings of the Symposium in a book or
journal special issue.

** Symposium Co-Chairs **
Ron Chrisley -  Centre for Cognitive Science (COGS), University of Sussex
Rob Clowes - Centre for Cognitive Science (COGS), University of Sussex

** Scientific Committee **
Igor Aleksander  - Imperial College, UK and COGS Sussex

Giovanna Colombetti - York University, Canada

Owen Holland - University of Essex, UK

Takashi Ikegami  - University of Tokyo, Japan

Murray Shanahan - Imperial College, UK

Steve Torrance  - Department of Psychology, University of Middlesex, UK and
COGS Sussex

Tom Ziemke -  School of Humanities and Informatics, University of Sk=F6vde,
Sweden

** Submissions **

Extended abstracts of not more than 500 words (plus references) should be
submitted in plain text to :

Rob Clowes
Centre for Research in Cognitive Science.
University of Sussex
Falmer  BN1 9QH
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1273 638317
Email : robertc at cogs.susx.ac.uk (please note '@' should be inserted for
' at '. This is as an attempt to avoid spam).

Organised in association with the AISB (The Society for the Study of
Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behaviour)