{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Minding Machines","title":"Thought Experiments Made Real: A Philosopher on AI, Minds, and Learning","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2385,"description":"Mark Phelan, Professor of Philosophy, Director of Lawrence’s Cognitive Science program, and Co-director of the AI Task Force at Lawrence, joins the show to discuss why large language models may be the biggest development in philosophy of mind in a generation. We also discuss whether LLMs can mean, intend, or know anything, the debate over AI-written philosophy, and the real risk of cognitive offloading, including what to hand to AI and what to keep for ourselves. Mark also takes us inside Philosophy 111: Computation and Cognition (offered in the Winter 2027 term) and shares advice for faculty and students on engaging with AI thoughtfully rather than reflexively.\nEpisode Resources\nMark Phelan's website [link]\nEmily Bender [link]\nPaper that includes the octopus example Mark referenced [link]\nJournal article in Philosophy and Public Affairs written by AI [link]\nAI Philosophy Competition [link]\nMark's presentation Can an LLM Have Communicative Intentions? at AI and Philosophy Conference, University of New Orleans, April 16, 2026 [link] and 6th International Conference on Philosophy of Mind: Artificial Intelligence, University of Porto, Portugal, May 6, 2026 [link]\nWhy Smart People Make Weak Arguments About AI by Josh May and The Mind and Morality Lab [link]\nAI as Normal Technology by Arvind Narayanan & Sayash Kapoor [link]\nWhat We Talk to When We Talk to Language Models by David J. Chalmers [link]\nPHIL/COSC 111 course details\nSynopsis:\nThis course is a blend of philosophy, cognitive science, and hands-on AI experimentation. The main goal of the course is to compare human thought with whatever computational generative AI systems do, exploring both their similarities and differences. To do this competently, we’ll first need to explore some aspects of human cognition. We’ll also need to spend time directly engaging with generative AI systems and critically analyzing how they respond to and are shaped by prompting.\nThe course is structured around three main activities:...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/EV-3NNJYdF3p5uQHQ4aZg0m0X_Pt4SI3yHVg65JNBIM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9jNjU1/MTE1MzU0NTI3OWM3/MGU3MWU3NjFlODli/MDE5Zi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}